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THE 



GOSPEL-MYSTERY 

OF 

B A H C T I F I C A T I O N 

OPENED, 

IJV SUA'DRY PRACTICAL BIRECTIOjYS, 

{SUITED ESPECIALLY TO THE CASE OF THOSE WHO LABOUR 
UNDER THE 

GUILT AND POWER OF INDWELLING-SIN. 

TO WHICH IS ADDED, A 

SERMON ON JUSTIFICATION. 

BY WALTER MARSHALL, 

LATE PREACHER OE THE GOSPEL AT GOSPORT. 
TO WHICH IS PnETIXED, 

A RECOMMENDATION BY ELEVEN DIVINES. 



<^ God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to con* 
founcl the wise ; and God hath chosen the weak things of 
the world, to confound the things which are mighty," Sec. 
I CoR. i. 27—31. 



FROM THE TWELFTH EUROPEAN EDITIOX. 



JVEW'YORK: 

printed and published by soutkwick and pelole, 

No. 3, Nevf-strcet. 



1811. 



^HHI^l 



.hi 



Transfer 
U S. Soldiers Home Liforevy 
Jan. 25, 1933 



.i£M^ 






ADVERTISEMENT 

TO THE TWELFTH EUROPEAN EDITIONS 



IX printing the eleventh edition of this judicious 
treatise of the justly celebrated Mr. Marshall, en- 
titled, The Gospel 3Iystery of Sanctif cation^ in the year 
irS6, the present Editor had recourse to t\\Q fourth 
irapression of that book, the only correct one he had 
seen, printed at Edinburgh, in the year 1744 j by which 
means, a great number of errors and mistakes, some of 
them very material^ that had crept into some after 
editions of it, have now been corrected and amended ; 
V. hich will, he hopes, make the perusal of it more ac- 
ceptable to the intelligent reader. 

To the Rev. Mr, IIervey's warm recommendation 
of this excellent treatise, there is now annexed his short 
fit fence and additional recommendation of it, selected 
from his valuable writings, not formerly published with 
-any editions of this tract, till the editor published them 
^v^th his last inipression of it. 

Many sincerely regret, that 3Ir. Marshall did not 
more fully enlarge upon that important subject of Jus- 
riiicATiON, subjoined at the end of this valuable 
H'catJse, as it v/puld have been an acceptable ; '^jQat 



iv ADVERTISF^MENT. 

to the church ; though it is admitted, the Discourse is 
a most judicious compend of that important doctrine.^ 

There are few practical pieces that have been more 
acceptable to the piously disposed of every denomina- 
tion of Christians, than this excellent treatise, or stands 
more fully recommended by so many eminent divines*: 
and when the names of the two judicious Erskines^ 
Hervcy^ and other great divines are among the recom- 
menders of it, it is no wonder it should be purchased 
with avidity, and also perused with pleasure and ad* 
vantage. 

WILLIAM SMITH. 

Glasgoxv. August, 1789. 



* If the reader choosea to see afarthe? illustration of this import- 
ant doctrine of Justtf ication, lie may consult the Linie-street 
Lectures, being a defence of some important doctrines of the Gos- 
pel, and this one araong others, printed some years aifo, by W» 
Smith, in t\yo handBome volumes^ Vol. II, p, 60—138. 



CONTENTS. 



Recommendation by Dr. J. M. Mason, of New-York, T 

The Preface, by Messrs. N. N. and T. Woodcock, . 8 

The Recommendation, by Messrs. Erskmes and others, 1 1 

A Recommendation by Mr. Gib, .12 

Mr. Hcrvey's recommendatory letter, 13 

Additional recommendation by Mr. Hervey, with his 
Plan for improving Mr. Marshall's treatise, ... 17 

Direction I. To perform the duties required in the law, 
first learn the effectual means to attain so great an 
end, . . , I .^_2i 

Direct. II. Four endowments and qualifications neces- 
sary ; 1 . An inclination and propensity of heart there- 
unto. 2. A persuasion of our reconciliation with God. 
3. A persuasion of our enjoyment of everlasting hap-« 
piness. 4. A persuasion of sufficient strength both 
to will and perform duties acceptably, . . . » . 32 

Direct. III. The way to get these endov/ments, to eucible 
for practice, is, to receive them from Christ's fulness, 
by union and fellowsiiip with him, . . . ... 52 

Direct. IV. The means or insiruments of this union,. 
and all fellov/ship, are, the gospel and faith. W'^hat 
faith is, G7 

Direct. V. We cannot attain holiness by our endeavours. 
in a natural state, without union and fellowship with 
Christ, 81 

Direct. VI. Those that endeavour sincere obedience, as 
the condition to procure a right and title to salvation, 
and as a ground to trust on Christ, do seek salvation 
by thci works of the ja v, , . . , O;; 

A 2. 



vi CONTENTS. 

Direct. VII. We are not to imagine, that our hearts and 
lives must be changed, from sin to holiness, in any 
measure, before we trust on Christ, 122 

Direct. VIII. Seek for holiness only in its due order, 
after union, justification, and the gift of the Holy 
Ghost; and by faith, 134 

Direct. IX. We must first receive the comforts of the 
gospel, that we may perform the duties of the law, . 140 

Direct. X. That we may, by gospel comforts, perform 
the duties of the law, we must get assurance in that 
very faith whereby we receive Christ, 150 

Direction XI. Believe on Christ, in a right manner, 
without delay, and then continue and increase in faith ; 
that so enjoyment of Christ, and union and fellowship 
with him, and all holiness by him, may be begun, con- 
tinued, and increased, 177 

Direct. XII. Diligently use faith for the performance 
of the duties of the law, by walking no longer ac- 
cording to your old state principles, or means of 
practice ; but only according to that new state you 
receive by faith, and its principles, and means of 
practice, 207 

Direct. XIII. Make a right vise of all the means ap- 
pointed in the word, for obtaining and practising "* 
holiness, only in this way of believing and walking 
in Christ, according to your new state, 237 

Direct. XIV. That you may thus seek holiness only by 
believing and walking in Christ, take encouragement 
from the great advantages of this way, and the excel- 
lent properties of it, ^ . . . . .275 

The Sermon on Justification, .- , 269 



RECOMMENDATION 

BY THE REV, JOHjY M. MJSOA'', D,D. 



TO those who make living religion their study ^ and 
are anxious to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Mr. MarshalVs 
Treatise on Sanctijication^ rightly used, will be of ex- 
tensive benefit. It is a book of principles^ connected 
regularly together, and mutually supporting and being 
supported by each other. It is, therefore, a book which 
requires the reader to think, to deliberate, to compare. 
A cursory perusal will be of little advantage ; a partial 
one will probably do hurt, as it will expose the author 
to almost certain misconstruction, and the truth itself 
to unfounded prejudice. But they who can relish solid 
matter without the attractions of ornamental style, who 
will be at the trouble to understand Mr. Marshall before 
they pronounce their judgment, and shall apply his book 
to the end for which he wrote it, will find, in its weighty 
sense, much spiritual aliment, and be greatly assisted 
in bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, which are, 
by Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God. 

J. M. MASON. 

Ne%V'Tork^ Oct. 8, 1810* 



IPBEFACE, 



READER, 

Mr. Walter Marshall, composer of these Direc- 
tions how to attain to that practice and manner of life 
which, we call holiness^ righteousness^ or godliness^ was 
educated in New College of Oxford, and was a fellov/ 
qf sdid college, and af ctirvvards he was chosen a fellow 
of the college of Winchester, but was put under the 
Bartholomew Bushel,'^ with near two thousand more 
lights, {a sin not yet repented of) whose illuminations 
made the land a Goshen. He was esteemed a Presby- 
terian, and was called to be pastor to a people at Gos- 
port in Hampshire, where he shined, though he had not 
the public oil. The substance of these meditations 
were there spun out of his oru?i experiences ; he having 
been much exercised with troubled thoughts, and that 
for many years. He had, by many mortifying methods, 
sought peace of conscience ; but notwithstanding all, 
his troubles still increased. Whereupon he consulted 
others, particularly Mr. Baxter, whose writings he had 
been much conversant with ; who thereupon told Mr. 
Marshall, he took them too legally. He afterwards 
consulted an eminent divine, Dr. T. G. giving him an 
account of the state of his soul, and particidarizing his 
sins, v/hich lay heavy upon his conscience ; who, in his 
reply, told him that he had forgot to mention the great- 
ef;t sin of all^ the sin of unbeliefs in not believing on the 
I^ORD Jesus for the remission of his sins, and sanctify- 
ing his nature. Hereupon he set himself to the stndijing 
txiid preaching Christ, and attained to eminent '^hoii- 

* Thiis alludes to the Act of Parliament, after the restoration of 
Charles IL 1660, ejecting a vast number uf eminent faithful minis- 
ten'^ from Uvvir ciiarges^ hccuusc they could not comply with nrtiacy^ 



PJIEFACE. ix 

ucss, ^reat peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy 
(rhost?' 

jMr. Marshall's dying words v/ere these, '^ The 
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal 
life, through Jesus Christ our Lord ;'' having but just 
before said to those about him, "That he now died in 
the full persuasion of the truth, and in the comfort of 
that doctrine which lie had preached." The sum 
whereof is contained in the ensuing Discourse. 

Some time since he was translated by death, Elijah- 
like, dropping these sheets as his mantle for succeeding 
Elislias to go forth with, for the conversion of sinners, 
and comfort of drooping souls. 

These papers are the profound experiences of a studi- 
ous holy soul, learned of the Father^ coming from his 
veiy heart ; and smell of no party or design, but for 
holiness and happiness. Yet, it is to be feared, they will 
scarcely go down with the heady notionalists of this age, 
who are of the tribe of Reuben, wavering with every 
wind of modish doctrine ; but in Judah they will be 
praised. And we hope that many shrubs and cedars 
may hereby advance in knoxtxledge and comfort. 

But, not to detain you longer, read over all these 
IJirections, that you may fully understand the Author, 
or read none. If you do it with the serious humble 
spirit in which they were wrote, it may be hoped, (tho 
matter being so weighty, and from so able a hand) 
through the grace of God, they will sink into thy con- 
science, and make thee a ^c/i^ christian, full of yaiif/z, 
holiness^ and coiisolation* 

N.N. 

Jidij 21,1^92. 



The Author of these jyirections was well knov/n to 
me, and was with me in my house a month together, 
about twenty years past ; and I esteem him a person 
deserving the character which this Preface giveth him, 

T. WOODCOCK, 

July 21, 1G92, 



RECOMMIi^DlTORY PREFACE, 

pp.efixi:d to tke edition printed at Edinburgh, 
in the year 1733. 



THIS excellent Tredtise of Mr. Marshall's, though 
it is well known among the godly in Kngland, where it 
has undergone a twofold edition, yet this being tiie first 
time of its pabiicalion in Scotland, where it is known 
to but few, we could not refuse, at the desire of those 
concerned in the publication of it among us, to declare, 
that, as w^ have perused the book ourselves, with great 
edification and plea-iure, so v/e know it hath had the 
high approbation and testimony of many eminent for 
grace and holiness ; and judge the publication of it, at 
this time of the day^ seasonable among us, for promot- 
ing practical religion and godliness, and for giving a 
just yiew of the vast odds there is between heathenish 
morality, adorned with the finest flourishes of human 
rhetoric, and true gospel-holiness, v/ithout which, no 
frian shall see the Lord, 

And this our testimony v/e judge to be well supported 
by the w^ords of that great and evangelical person, l^li\ 
Robert Traill, late minister of the gospel in tlie city 
of London, in his postscript to a pamphlet, entitled, ** A 
vindication of the Protestant doctrine, concerning Jus- 
tification, and of its preachers and professors, from the 
unjust charge of Antinomianism." ^' 1 think, says he^ 
that Dr. Owen's excellent book of Justification, and 
Mr. Marshall's book of the Mysteri/ cf Sanctificaiion 
by faith in Jesus Christy are such vindications and con- 
feriniitions of the Protestant doctrine, against wiiich I 



RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE. x5 

fear no eiTectual opposition. Mr. JtlARSHALL was a 
holy and retired person, and is only knov/n to most of 
us by his book lately published. The book is a deep 
practical, well-jointed discourse; and requires a more 
than ordinary attention in reading of it with profit. 
And, if it be singly used, I look upon it as one of the 
most useful books the world has seen for many years* 
Its excellence is, that it leads the serious reader directly 
to Jesus^Christ, and cuts the sinews and overturns the 
foundation of the new divinity, by the same argument 
of gospel holiness by which attempts have been made 
to overturn the old. And, as it hath already had the 
seal of high approbation, by many judicious ministers 
and christians that have read it, so I fear not but it will 
stand firm as a rock against all opposition, and prove 
good seed, and food, and light to many hereafter.'^ 

This testimony, abstracting from human frailties and 
escapes, to which the greatest men are liable, while they 
know but in part, we homologate by our subscriptions. 

Alex. Hamilton, 1 ^ c,. *. 
lii r^ y at Stirlinc^:. 

Ebenezer Erskine, J ^ 

Ralph Erskine, 1 . ^ r i- 

T. ^\7at,tat A,.r > at Duniermlme* 

•JA. Wardlaw, 3 

Jo. Gib, at Cleish. 

Ja. Ogilvie, at Aberdeen. 



A NEW RECOMMENDATION, 

Pjij tJie Rev. Mr, Adam Gib^ Minister of the Gospel in the 
A'csociate Congregatio7i of Edmhurgh. 

THOUGH the due recommendations foregoing, 
Vfherev/ith these following Directions have been for- 
merly sent abroad, be what 1 pretend not to add an}' 
weight unto by my assent, there seems not, however, 
any thing superfluous, in applying unto two sorts of 
persons, an advice, which hath been already given, with 
respect to the readmg of this book. 

Among the professors of a religious course, some do 
still adhere unto a legal scheme of holiness, vainly 
making it the reason of their peace and hope, or, at 
least, of their venturing to found both on Christ ; and 
others are reconciled unto an evangelical scheme of 
holiness, verily making it the result of their peace and 
hope, as already founded on Christ, freely offered to 
them in the gospel. 

The correction which one of these sorts, and the i/z- 
struction in righteousness which both of them need, may 
be peculiarly gained from this book : and, for these pur- 
poses, they are earnestly entreated to peruse it com- 
pletely^ and in the same order wherein written : so that 
the one sort may not, from looking first into the latter 
part, throw it aside as A?itinomian ; nor the other sort, 
from looking only into the former part, throw it aside 
as legaL 

In fine, whereas I have scarcely ever been acquainted 
with any practical composure, of human product, so 
evangelical, in a thread more connect, and a method 
more exact than this : I equally despair that any shall 
reap true benefit, in a partial and confused reading ; and 
hope, that excellent fruiu shall, through the divine bless- 
ing, redound therefrom, unto such as may read it other- 
wise. 

To proceed thus far, in compliance with the inclina- 
tion of some gentlemen concerned in this edition, iy 
presumed by 

ADAM GIB. 
Edvibiirgh, Dec. 31, ir44. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 13 

Mr. Hervey's Recommendatory Letter to the Pub- 
lisher of a new Edition of Mr. Marshall on Sanc- 
tification, at London, 1756. 

Sir, 

IT gives me no small pleasure, to hear, that you are ^ing to re- 
publish Mr. Marshall's Gospel Mystery of Sancttfication* The /«- 
struciian, cmsolation, and spiritual irnproz^enient, which I myself re- 
ceived from that solid and judicious treatise, excite in me a pleasing 
hope, thtit it may be equally instructive and advantageous to others. 

Tlie recommendation of it in Theron afidAspasioy-f with which you 
propose to introduce the new edition, is at. your service. To this 
proposal I consent the more readily, because Mr. Marshall's book 
may be looked upon as no improper supplcTneiit to these Dialogues 
and Letters, The author of which intended to have closed his plan 
with a dissertation on practical holiness ^ or evangelical obedience.—^ 
But this design was dropped : partly, on account of his very declin- 
ing health ; partly, because the work swelled under his hands, far 
beyond his expectation. 

He has been advised, once moi*e to resume the pen; and treat ' 
that grand subject, with some degree of copiousness and particu- 
larity. If he should be enabled to execute, what he acknowledges 
to be expedient, the doctrines aheady discussed, and the privileges 
already displayed, will furnish the principal materials for this essay. 
Justification, free justification, through the righteousness of j^esus 
Christy is the sacred fleece from which he would spin his thread, and 
weave his garment ; agreeable to that important test, ye are bought 
'icith a price / therefore glorfy God.*-^li'' providence, in all things 
wise, and in all things gracious, should see fit to withhold either 
time or ability for the accomplishment of my purpose, I do, by these 

* It is said, by the very best judge of propriety in the sacred 
writing, *' great is the mystery of godliness,'* 1 Tim iii. 16. i'liis 
passag-r, I presume, Mr. Marsluill had in his view, wiien i»e pitched 
upon a Tale for his book. And this puss ig-e will render it superior 
to all ccns'ire; unex.ceplivOnably ju.sl and proper. 

t See this recommendation at the end of this letter. 

i I Cor. xi ^0. 

B 



14 RECOMMENDATIONS. 

presents, nomina*ee and depute Mr, Marshall, to supply my lack cj 

Mr. Marshall expresses my thoughts ; he prosecutes my schemcj 
and not only pursues the same end ; but proceeds in tlie same way. 
I shall therefore rejoice in the prospect of having the Gospel Mystery 
ef Sanctification stand as 2i fourth volume to Theron and Aspasio — 
Might I be allowed, without the charge of irreverence, to use the 
beautiful image of an inspired writer, I could with great satisafc- 
tion say, " \{ this be a wall, that will build upon it a palace of ivory ; 
if M/s be a door, that will inclose it with boards of cedar.'* 

Mr Marshall represents true holiness, as consisting in the lo^ce of 
God, and the /ow o/* vian; — that unforced, unfeigned, and most ra- 
tional love of God, which arises from a discovery of his unspeakable 
mercy and infinite kindness to us ; that cordial, disinterested, and 
universal love to man, which flows from the possession of a satisfac- 
tory and delightful portion in the Lord Jehovah. These duties, 
of love to our Creator and our fellov/ creatures, are regarded as the 
sum and substance of the moral law ; as the root from which all true 
branches of pure and undefiled religion spring. — Holiness, thus sta- 
ted, is considered, not as the means, but as apart, a distinguished 
part of our salvation ; or rather as the very central point, in which all 
the means of grace, and all the ordinances of religion, terminate. 

Man, in a natarai state, is absolutely incapable of practising tliis 
holiness, or enjoying this happiness. — If you ask, what is meiint by 
a natural state? It is that state, in which we are under the guilt of 
sin aiid the curse of the law; are subject to the power of Satan, 
arid iiifluenced by evil propensities. — Froui tills stale none are re- 
leased, but bybeir.^' united to Christ, or» as tlie apostle speaks, by 
'** Christ dwelling In the heart throiig'b f;iith,'' Eph. ill IT. 

Faitht according to Mr, Marshall, is a real persuasion^ that God 
Is pleased to gi^e Clirist and his salvatioi;; to give him freely^ with- 
out any recommending qualificatlor.s, or pre{)aratory conditions ; 
to give him not to j(?7;ic', sinners only, b.it to me a sinrier i:t particu- 
lar. — It is likewise an actual receiving of Cbilst, with all the benefits, 
pri\ lieges, and promises of the gospel ; in uu.^juance of the divine 

* Cant vill. 9. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 15 

g'U\, and on no other warrant than the divine grant.— -This last of- 
fice is particularly insisted on, as and essential part, or as thej&nnc/- 
jOcz/ act of faith. To perform wjiich, there is no rational, no possi- 
ble way ; unless, as our author declares, we do, in some measure^ 
persuade Viwd assure oursehes* that Christ and his salvation are ours. 

As faith is such a persuasion of the heart, and such a reception of 
Christ, it assures the soul of salvation by its oian acts antecedent to 
all reflection on its fruit or eftects, on marks and evidence j it as- 
sures the s'julof acquittance from g-uilt, and reconciliation to God ; of 
a title to the everlasting inheritance, and of grace sufficient for every 
case of need. By the exercise of this faith, and the ejijoy^ineut of these 
blessings we are sanctified; conscience is pacified, and the heart 
ptirified; we are delivered from the dominion of sin, disposed to 
holy tempers, and furnished for a holy practice. 

Here, I apprehend, our author will appear singular. This is the 
place in which he seems to go quite out of the common road. 1 he 
generality of serious people look upon these unspeakable blessings 
as the reward of holiness ; to be received, after we have sincerely 
practised universal holiness : not as necessary, previously necessary, 
to perform any act of true holiness. This is the stumbling-block, 
which our legal minds, dim with prejudice, and swoleu with pride, 
will liardly get over. However, these endowments of oiu* new state 
are, in our author's opinion, the effectual, andtlie only effectual expe- 
dient, t'> produce sanctification. They are the very method which tlie 
eternal Spirit has ordained, for ** our bringing forth those fruits of 
righteousness, which are, by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and 

* It is not, by this expression affirmed, or insinuated, that we are 
Me to produce faith in ourselves by any power of oirr own. This 
self-sufticiency the author has professedly and frequently disclaim* 
ed , asserting, that '* the Spirit of God habititnlly disposes and in- 
clines our hearts to a right performMUce of this u^ost important act ' 
'i'his manner of speakin.g is used, 1 imagine, for two reasons : To 
point out tlie first and chief work, wliich we are to be doing, inces- 
santly and assiduously, till our Lord come; to rcmiml us tlvit w^* 
must not expect to have faith wrought in us, by some futulity of su- 
pernatural operation, without any application or endeavour of ouv 
own ; but that we must make it our diligent endeavour, and our daily 
business to believe in Ci^rist. We must ** labour tu enter into his 
Jx*sV* a-ad '* shew. all (Jiligence to the fdll ?.ssvirunce of hope*" 



16 RECOMMENDATIONS. 

g^lory of God."t Whereas, if iliere be any appearances of virUiej, 
OP any efforts of obedience, which spring* not from these motives 
and means of practice, Mr. Marshall treats them as reprobate siher^ 
Me cannot allow them the chiiractcr o? gospel holiness. 

This is the plan, and these are the leadijig sentiments, of the ensu- 
ng" treatise. To establish or defend them, is not my aim. This is 
attempted, and, I think, executed in the work itself. My aim is, 
only to exhibit the most distinguished principles, in one short sketch 
and clear point of view ; that the reader may the more easily remem- 
ber the^, and by this key enter the more perfectly into the writei *s 
meaning". Let him that is spiritual judge ;* and reject or admit, 
as each tenet shall appear to correspond with the infallible word. 
Only let candour, not rigour, fill the chair; and interpret an un- 
guai'ded expression, or a seeming-ly inconsistent sentence, by the 
g"eneral tenor of the discourse. 

We are not to expect much pathos of address, or any delicacy of 
composition. Here the gospel-dirmond i>s set, not in gold, but ift 
steel ; not where it may display the most sprightly beam, or pour a 
flood of brilliancy ; but where it may do the most signal service, and 
afford a fund of usefulness. Neither is this book so particularly cal- 
cUUted for careless insensible sinners, as for those who are awuken. 
ed into a solicitous attention to their everlasting ir»terests ; who are 
earnestly inquiring, with the Philippian jailor, " what shall J do to 
be saved r'^f ^i' pas*»ionately crying, in the language of the apostle, 
** O wretched man tliat 1 ami who shall deliver me from the body 
of this death ?"| If there be any such, as no doubt there are many, 
in the christian world, I would say with regard to them, as the Is- 
raelitish captive said concerning l.er illustrious but ufHictcd mustea*, 
*« would God my master were with the prophet that is in Sa-^ 
maria ; for he would recover him of his leprosy **§ O that sucli per- 
sons were acquainted with the doctrines, and influenced by the di- 
rections contained in this treatise! they would, under the divine 
blessing, recover them from their distress, and restore them to thei-r 
tranquillity ; they would " comfort their hearts, and thereby estub- 
llsh them in every good word and woik.|) 

♦ 1 Cor. ii. 15. t Acts i. SO. \ Rom. vii. 24. § 2 Kings v. 3* 
t Phil. i. 11, II 2 Thess. ii. 17. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 1 y 

But I am going- to anticipate what the following extract speaks.* 
r shall therefore only add my hearty wishes, that you may meet with 
encouragement and success, in the publication of this truly valuable 
piece. Since there is, in this instance, an evident connexion between 
your private interest and tli^ general good ; I thing you may promise 
yourself the approbation and acceptance of the public : as you will 
assuredly have all the support and assistance that can be given by. 
Sir, your humble servant, 

JAM£S HERVEY. 

Weston Favai, Nov. 5, 1756. 



Mr. Hervey's Recommendation of Mr. Marshall in his 
Theron and Aspasio, edit. III. vol. ii. p. 336. See 
it also in his works in octavo, vol. iii. p. 389. 

" It is with great pleasure and without any diffidence that I refer 
any readers to Mr. Marshairs Treatise on Sanctification ; which I 
shall not recommend in the style of a critic, nor like a person of 
taste, but with all the simplicity of the weakest christian ; 1 mean, 
from my own experience. It has been made one of the most useful 
books to my own heart; I scarce ever fail to receive spirilaal con- 
solation and strength from the perusal of it : and was I to be banish- 
ed into some desolate island, possessed of only fwo books, bcside^s 
my Bible, this should be one of the two, perhaps thej?r«t that I 
would choose. 

** Should any person, hitherto a stranger to the work, purchase it 
on thisrocommendation, I must desire to suggest one caution: that 
he be not surprised, if in the beginning, he meets with something 
aew, and quite out of the common road ; or, if surprised, that he 
would not be offended, but calmly and attentively proceed. He will 
find tlie author's design opening itself by degrees. He will discern 
more and more the propriety of his method. And what might, at 
first, appear like a stumbling-block, will prove to be a fair and am- 
ple avenue to the place of truth, to the temple of holiness, and bowers 
of happiness.*' 

'*' Sec it in the following page. 

B 2 



1 8 RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Mr. Hervey's Recommendation and Plan for improv- 
ing Mr. Marshall's Treatise on Sanctification. 

IT appears evident, by sundry of Mr. Hervey's Letters, particu- 
larly Letter 149, that an improvement of Mr. Marshall was intended 
by him, which was not got accomplished, on account of the declin- 
ing state of his health. In writing to his friend, he says, ** you will 
wonder to see how strongly I have recommended Mr. Marshall's 
Treatise on Sanctification, in the second volume of my Theron and 
Aspasio. It has been eminently blessed to my own soul : there is no 
religious treatise which I read, which does me more good. Pray, be 
so kind as execute what you proposed. Shew me how Mr. Mar- 
shall's method may be improved ; for I would gladly tread in his 
steps on this account, as well as on others. Any apparent obscurity 
in his third and fourth Direction, says he. Letter 172, does not arise 
from any improper 77ia«?zer of treating the subjects, but from the w}«- 
tersous nature of the subjects themselves. The remarkably instruc- 
tive method of tlie Directions, says he, laid down by Mr. Marshall, 
(than whom no man, perhaps, was ever better acquainted with the 
human heart) for the effectual practice of holiness, as laid down and 
illustrated by him, is truly admirable. 

The following is Mr. Hervey's intended plan of such improvement 
of Mr. Marshall's Treatise as he judged might answer the end; 
where, by changing the fourteen Directions^ into the form of Asser- 
tions y or Propositions^ the strongest objections are enervated.* 

ASSERTION I. 
That practice and manner of life, which the scripture calls holi 
ness, righteousness, or godliness, obedience, true religion, is not at* 
tained by our most resolved endeavours, but is given through the 
kiiowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue. 

Assert. II. No man can love God till he knows him, nor till he 
knows him to be his everlasting friend. Tkerefore, the spring o{ 
true holiness, is a well-grounded persuasion of our reconciliation 

♦ See Mr. Hervey's Works, Vol. IV. p. 429—432; 



BECO^DIENDATIOXS. 19 

witli God, and of our future enjoyment of the everlasting" heavenly 
happiness, and for sufficient strength given in him for all that lie 
calls us unto- 

Assert. III. These endowments, so necessary to the obedience of 
love, are continued in the fuhiess of Christ, and are enjoyed only by 
union and fellowship with him. 

Assert. IV. The means or instruments whereby the Spirit of God 
accomplisheth our union with Christ, and our fellowship with him 
in all holiness, are the gospel, whereby Christ entereth into our 
hearts^ begetteth us to the faith whereby we actually receive Christ 
himself, with all his fulness, unto the hope of eternal life by him. 
And thus, by the influence of the spirit of truth, we unfeignedly be- 
lieve the gotpel, and also believe on Christ, as he is revealed, and 
freely promised to us therein, for all his salvation. 

Assert* V, The practice of true holiness is not attained by any en- 
deavours of our natural state, but is a blessingof our new state given 
in Jesus Christ, and partook of by union and fellowship with Christ 
through faith. 

Assert, VI. Those that endeavour to perform sincere obedience t» 
all the commands of Christ, as the condition whereby they are to 
procure for themselves a right and title to salvation, and a go€i 
ground on him for the same, do seek their salvation by the works of 
tlie law, and not by the faith of Christ, as he is revealed in the gos- 
pel : and they shall never be able to perform sincerely any true holy 
obedience by all such endeavours* 

Assert, VII. We are not to imagine, that our hearts and lives must 
ke changed from sin to holiness, in any measure, before we may 
safely ventu/e to trust on Christ, for the sure enjoyment of himself 
and his salvation. 

Assert, VIII. True holiness of heart and life, hath its due order 
where God hj^th placed itj that is, afier union with Christ, justRjes* 



20 RECOMxMENDATIONS. 

tion, and tlie gift of the Holy Ghost, It is not theref(jre to be ex- 
pected, but in that order, as what accompanies salvatloru 

Aasert. IX. It is only by the comforts cf the g-ospel, revealing' ft 
just God and Saviour, that God works in us to will and to do of his 
good gleasure. 

Assert, X. The comforts of the gospel, necessary to christian obe- 
dience? contain sufficient grounds of assurance of our salvation, not 
because we believe, but in a way of immediate trust and confidence. 
Therefore, instead of seeking other methods of peace and holiness, 
we must endeavour to believe or trust on Christ confidently ; per- 
suading and assuring ourselves, according to the divine declarations^ 
that God freely gives to us an interest in Christ and his salvation^ 
according to his gracious promise; 

Assert. XI. It is therefore belonging to tlie practical part of the 
christian life, to maintain the same immediate trust and confidence, 
in dependence on the divine faithfulness, not to suffer us to be con- 
founded, that so our enjoyment of Christ, union and fellowship witk 
him, may be continued and increased in us. 

Assert, XII. The scripture calls upon Christians to walk no longer 
according to the principles, or means of practice, that belong unt«- 
the natural or original state ©f man, but only according to that new 
state, given in Christ, which we receive by faith, and the principles 
and means of practice, that properly belong thereunto ; ^nd tq strive 
to continue and increase in such a manjier of practice. 

Assert, XIII. All ordinances of divine appointment, for the estab- 
lishment and increase of our faith and love, are to be considered 
only in this way of believing in Christ, and walking in him, accord- 
ing to this new state given in him. 

Assert, XIV. That we may be confirmed in holiness, only by be- 
lieving in Christ, and walking in him by faith, according to the for- 
mer assertions, we may take encouragement from the great advan- 
^ges of this way, and excellent properties of it 



THE 

GOSPEL MYSTERY 

OF 

SANCTIFICATION' 

OPENED. 
DIRECTION I. 

i'Uut we may acceptably perform the duticvS of Holiness, and Rig-ltt. 
eousness required in the law, our first work is, to learn the povv- 
erf^il and eiiectual means %vliereby we may attain to so |jrcat an 
end. - 

EXPLICATION. 

If 

This direction may serve instead of a preface, to pre- 
pare the understanding and attention of tiie reader for 
those that follow. And, 

First, It acqiiainteth you with the great end^ for which 
all those means are designed that are the principal sub- 
ject to be here treated of. The scope of all is^ to teach 
you how, you may attain to that practice and manner 
of life which we call holiness^ righteousness^ or godli- 
ness^ obedience^ true religion; and which God requireth 
of us in the law particularly in the moral hnv^ summed 
up in the ten commandments^ and more briefly in these 
two great commandments oi love to God^nA. our neigh- 
bour^ Mat. xxii. 37, 39. And more largely explained 
throughout the holy scriptures. My work is, to sh^^w 



22 1 HE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

hoxv the duties of this Icnv may be done^ when they arc 
known: therefore expect not that I should delay my 
intent, to help you to tlie knoxvledge of them, by any 
hirge exposition of them ; which is a work already per- 
foniied in several catechisms and commentaries. Yet, 
that you may not miss the mark, for want of discerning 
it, take notice, in a few words, that the holiness which 
I would bring you to !g spiritual^ Horn. vii. 14. It con- 
sists not only in external works oi pietij and cliaritij^ but 
in the holy thoughts^ imaghiatiQijs^ £\.n(l affections of the 
soul, and chiefly in love ; from whence all other good 
works must flow, or else they are not acceptable to 
God, not only in refraining the execution of sinful lusts, 
but in longing and delighting to do the will of God, 
cmd in a cheerful obedience to God, without repining, 
fretting, grudging at an)^ duty, as if it were a grievous 
yoke and burden to you. 

Take notice further, that the law^ which is your marh^ 
is exceeding broeid^'^^'iX. cxix. 96 ; and yet not the more 
easy to be hit ; because you must aim to hit it, in every 
duty of it, v\nth a performance of equal breadth, or else 
you cannot hit it at all, Jam. ii. 10. The Lord is not 
at all loved with that love that is due to him as Lord of 
all, if he be not loved with all our hearty spirit^ and 
might. We are to love every thing in him, \i\^ justice^ 
holiness^ sovereign authority^ all-seeing cye^ and all his 
decrees^ commands^ judgments^ and ail his doings. We 
are to love him, not only better than other things, but 
singly, as only good^ the fountain of all goodness ; and 
jo reject all fleshly and worldly enjoyments, even our 
own lives, as if we hated them, when they stand in com- 
petition v/ith our enjoyment of him, or our duty towards' 
him. We must love him so as to yield ourselves wholly 
up to his constant service in all things, and to his dis- 
posal of us as our absolute Lord, whether it be for 
prosperity or adversity, life or death. And, for his 
sake, we are to love our neighbour, even all men, 
whether they be friends or foes to us ; and so do to 
them, in all things^ that concerneth their honour, life^ 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 33 

(iliastity, worldly wealth, credit, and content, whatever 
we would that men should do to us in the like condition, 
Mat. vii. 12. This spiritual universal obedience is the 
great end, to the attainment whereof I am directing 
you. And that you may not reject mine enterprize as 
impossible, observe, that the most I promise is no more 
than an acceptable performance of those duties of the 
law, such as our gracious merciful God will certainly 
delight in, and be pleased with, during our state of im- 
perfection in this vv^orld, and such as v/iil end in perfec- 
tion of holiness, and all happiness in the world to 
come. 

Before T proceed farther, stay your thoughts a while 
in the contemplation of the great dignity and excellency 
of these duties of the law, that you may aim at 
the performance of them, as your end, with so high an 
esteem, as may cast an amiable lustre upon the ensuing 
discovery of the means. The principal duties of love 
to God above all^ and to each other ^ for his sake^ from 
whence all the other duties flow are so excellent, that 
I cannot imagine any more noble work for the holy an- 
gels in their glorious sphere* ''Jliey are the chief works 
for which we were first framed in the image of God, 
engraved upon man in the first creation, and for which 
that beautiful image is renewed upon us in our new crea- 
tion and sanctificatioH by JesuA* Christ, and shall be per- 
fected in our glorification. They are v/orks which de- 
pend not mertiy on the sovereignty of the will of God, 
to be commanded or forbidden, or left indifferent, or 
changed, or abolished at his pleasure, as other works 
that belong either to the judicial or ceremonial lav/, or 
to the means of salivation prescribed by the gospel; but 
they are, in their ov/n nature, holy^jiist^ andgood^ Rom, 
vii. 12; and meet for us to perform, because of our 
natural relation to our Creator and feiiow creatures ; so 
that they will have :\i\ inseparable dependence upon the 
holiness and will of God, and an indispensable establish- 
ment th'-reby. Thi:y are v/orks sufficient to render ihe 
perfoniu:r3 holy in all maij^ner of conversation, by the 



THE GOSPEL MYSTEllY 

fruits which they brhig forth, if no other duties had 
ever been commanded ; and by which the performace 
of all other duties is sufficiently established as soon as 
they are commanded ; and without which, there can 
be no holiness of heart and life imagined ; and to which 
it was one great honour of Mosaical, and is now of 
evangelical ordinances, to be subservient for the per- 
formance of them, as means v/hich shall cease when 
their end, this nevei^- failing charity, is perfectly attained, 
1 Cor. xiii. They are duties which we were naturally, 
obliged to, by that reason and understanding which 
God gave to man at his first creation, to discern what 
was just and meet 'for him to do, and to which even 
heathens are still obliged, by the light of nature, with 
out any written law, or supernatural revelation, Rom. 
iv. 14, 15. Therefore they are called natural religion : 
and the law that requireth them, is called the natural 
law^ and also the moral law ; because the manners of 
all men, infidels as well as christians, ought to be con- 
formed to it, (and, if they had been fully conformable, 
they would not have come short of eternal happiness. 
Mat. V. 19; Ijuke x. 27, 28.) under the penalty of the 
wrath of God for the violation of it. This is the true 
morality which God approveth of, consisting in a con- 
formity of all our actions to the moral law. And, if 
those that in these daj^s, contend so highly for mortal- 
ity, do understand no other than this, I dare join with 
them in asserting, that the best morally honest man is 
the greatest saint; and that morality is the principal 
part of true religion, and the rest of all other parts, with- 
out which faith is dead, and all other religious perform- 
ances are a vain shew, and mere hypocrisy. For the 
faithful and true witness hadi testified, concerning 
the two great inoral commandments of lovetoGod^ and 
Giir neighbour^ that there is none other commandment 
greater than these, and that on them '' hang all the law 
and the prophets," Mat. xxii. S(b — W. I^lark xii. 31. 
The second thing contained in this introductory direc- 
tion is the necessity of learning the powerful and effcc- 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX. ^b 

tual means^ whereby this great and excellent end may 
be accomplished, and of making this the first work to be 
done, before we can expect success in any attempt for 
the attainment of it. 

This is an advertisement very needful; because many 
are apt to skip over the lesson concerning the means 
(that will fill up this w^hole treatise) as superfluous and 
useless. When once they know the nature and excel- 
lency of the duties of. the law, fiey account nothing 
wanting but diligent performance; and they rush blind- 
ly upon immediate practice, making more haste than 
good speed. They are quick in-promising, Exod. xix. 
8. " all that the Lord hath spoken we will do," without 
sitting down and counting the cost. I'hey look upon 
holiness as only the means of an end of eternal salva- 
tion : not as an end itself requireth any great means for 
attaining the practice of it. The inquiry of most, when 
they begin to have a sense of religion, is, " what good 
thing shall I do that I may hare eternal life ?" Mat xix. 
19 ; not, how shall I be enabled to do any thing that is 
good ? Yea, many that are accounted powerful preach- 
ers, spend all their zeal in the earnest pressing the im- 
mediate practice of the law, without any discovery of 
the effectual means of performance : as if the w^orks of 
righteousness were like those servile employments that 
need no skill and artifice at all, but industry and activity. 
That you may not stumble at the threshold of a religious 
life, by this common oversight, I shall endeavour to 
make you sensible, that it is not enough for you to know 
the matter and reason of your duty, but that you ai"ti 
also to learn the powerful and effectual means of per- 
formance, before you can successfully apply yourselves 
to immediate practice. And, for this end, I shall lay 
before you the considerations following. 

1st. We are all, by nature, void of all strength and 
ahility to perform acceptably that holiness and righte- 
ousness which the law requireth, and are " dead in 
trespasses and sins," and '^ children of wrath," by the 
sin of our first father, Adam, as the script^ire wilree^i- 

C 



26 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

eth, Rom. v. 12, 15, 18, 19. Epb. ii. 1, 2, 3. Rom. vlii. 
/, 8. This doctrine to original sin, which Protestants 
generally profess, is a firm basis and ground-work to 
the assertion now to be proved, and to many other as- 
sertions in this whole discourse* If we believe it to be 
true, we cannot rationally encourage ourselves to at- 
tempt a holy practice, until we are acquainted with 
some powerful and effectual means to enable us for it. 
While man continued upright in the image of God, as 
he was at iirst created, Eccl. vii. 19. Gen. i. 27, he could 
do the will of God sincerely, as soon as he knew it ; but 
when he was fallen, he was quickly afraid, because of 
his nakedness ; but could not help it at all, until God 
discovered to him the means of restoration. Gen. iii. 
10, 15. Say to a strong healthy servant, ^' go, and he 
goeth : come, and he cometh : do this, 'and he doeth it :'^ 
but a bed-ridden serva.nt must knovf first how he may 
be enabled-. No doubt the fallen angels knev/ the ne- 
cessity of holiness, and trembled at the guilt of their 
sin : but they knew of no means for them to attain, to 
holiness effectually, and so continue still in their wick- 
.edness. It was in vain for Sampson to say, ^^ I will go 
out as at other tinies, and shake myself," when he had 
sinned away his strength, Judg. xvi. 20. Men shew 
themselves strangely forgetful, or hypocritical, in pro- 
fessing original sin in their prayers, catechisms, and 
confessions of faith ; and yet urging upon themselves 
and others the practice of the law, Vvdthout the con- 
sideration of any strengthening, enlivening means : as 
if there were no want of abiiit)^, but only of activity. 

2c]. Those that doubt of, or deny the doctrine of 
original sin, may all of them know concerning them- 
selves (if their consciences be not blind) that the exact 
justice of God is against them, and they are under the 
curse of God^ antl sentence of death, for their actual 
sins, if God should enter into judgment with them, 
Rom. i. 32. ii. 2. iii., 9. Gal. iii. 10. Is it possible for 
a man that knoweth this to be his case, and hath not 
learned any means of getting out of it, to practice the 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 27 

law immediately, to love God and every thing in him, 
his justice, holiness, and power, as well as his mercy, 
and to yield liimself willingly to the disposals of God, 
though God should inflict sudden death upon him ? Is 
there no skill or artifice required in this case, to en- 
courage the fainting soul to the practice of vmiversal 
obedience ? 

3d» '^^ITiough Heathens might know much of the 
works of the law by the common light of natural rea- 
son, and understanding, Rom. li. 14. yet the effectual 
means of performance cannot be discovered by that 
light, and therefore are wholly to be learned by the 
teaching of supernatural revelation. For what is our 
natural light, but some sparks and glimmerings of tliat 
which was in Adam before the fall ; and even then, in 
its brightest meridian, it was not sufficient to direct 
Adam, how to recover ability to walk holily, if once he 
should lose it by sin ; nor assure him before hand, that 
God should vouchsafe to him any means of recoA^'ery. 
Ood had sent nothing but death before his eyes in case 
pf trans^^ression. Gen. ii. 17* and therefore he hid him- 
self from God, when the shaiVie vi hm nakedness, 
appeared, as expecting no favour from him. We arc 
like sheep gone astray, and knov/ not which way to re- 
turn, imtil we hear the Shepherd's voice. ''Can these 
dry bones live" to God in holiness ? "O Lord, thou know- 
est ;" and we cannot know it,, except v/e learn it of thee. 

4th. Sanctification, whereby our hearts and lives 
are conformed to the law, is a grace of God,, communi- 
cated to us by means, as well as justification; and by 
means of teaching, and learning something that we can- 
not see without the word, Actjy xxvi. 17, 18. Hiere 
are several things pertaining to life and godliness, 
that are given through knowledge^ 1 Pet. i. 2, 3. This 
is a form of doctrine made use of by God, to make peo- 
ple free from sin, and servants of righteousness, Rom. 
vi. 17, 18. and there are several pieces of the whole 
armour of God necessary to be know^n and put on, that 
we may stand against sin and Satan in the evil day^ 



28 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

Eph, VI. 13. Shall we slight and overlook the way of 
sanctification, when the learning the way of justification 
hath been accounted worth so many elaborate trea- 
tises ? 

5th. God hath given, in the holy scriptures, by his 
inspiration, plentiful instruction in righteousness, "that 
v/e may be thoroughly furnished for every good work,'^ 
2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. especially since 'Hhe day-spring from 
on high hath visited us," by the appearance of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, " to guide our feet in the way of peace,'^ 
Luke i. 78^ 79. If God condescend to us so very low, to 
teach us this way in the scripture, and by Christ, it 
must needs be greatly necessary for us, to sit down at 
his feet and learn it. 

6th. The way of attaining to godliness is so far from 
being known without learning out of the holy scriptures, 
that, when it is here plainly revealed, we cannot learn 
it s€^ easily as the dutes of the law ; which are known 
in part by the light of nature, and therefore the more 
easily assented ta» It is the way whereby the dead ars 
brought to live unto God ; and therefore cloubtless it ia 
far jvhove all the theiights and conjectures of human 
wisdom. It is the way of salvation, v/herein God will 
"destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing 
the understanding of the prudent," by discovering 
things by his Spirit, that "the natural man receiveth not; 
for they are foolishness to him neither can he know thena 
because they are spiritually discerned," 1 Cor. i. 19. 31 • 
and ii. 14. " without controversy, great is the mystery 
of godliness," 1 Tim. iii. 16. The learning of it re- 
quireth double work ; because we must unlearn many 
of our former deeply rooted notions, and "become fools, 
that we may be wise." We must pray earnestly to the 
liord to teach us, as well as search the scriptures, that 
we may get this knowledge. " O that my ways were 
directed to keep thy statutes ! Teach me, O Lord, the 
v/ay of thy statutes ; and I shall keep it unto the end," 
Psal. cxix. 5, 33. "Teach me to do thy will," cxiiii. 10. 
^^ The Lord diregt your hearts into the love of God," 2 



OF SAXCTIFICATIOTf. 29 

Thess. ill. 5-~-Surely these saints did not so much want 
teaching and directions concerning the duties of the law 
to be done, as concerning the way and means whereby 
they might do them. 

7th. The certain knowledge of these powerful and: 
effectual means, is of greatest importance and necessity; 
for our establishment in the true faith, and avoiding er- 
rors contrary thereunto ; for we cannot rationally doubt, 
that the moral duties of love to God and our neighbour, 
are absolutely necessary to true religion, so that it can- 
not subsist without them. And, from this principle wc* 
may firmly conclude, that nothing repug^ant to the prac- 
tice of these holf duties, ought to be received as a point 
of faith, delivered to us by the most holy God r and 
that whatsoever is truly necessary, powerful, and effec- 
tual, to bring us to the practice of them, ought to be 
believed as proceeding from God, because it hath the 
image of his holiness and righteousness engraven upon 
it. This, is a sure test and touchstone, which thoBe that 
are seriously religious will use, to try spirits and their 
doctrines, whether they be of God or no ; and they can- 
not rationally approve any doctrine as religious, that is 
not according to godliness, 1 Tim., vi. 3. By this 
touchstone Christ pro vet h his doctrine to be of God, 
because therein he seeketh the glory of God, Johnvii.. 
ir, 18. And he teacheth us to know false prophets by 
their fruits. Mat. vii. 15, 16. wherein the fruits which 
their doctrine tendeth unto, are especially to be consider- 
ed. Hence it appeareth, that until we know what are 
the effectual means of holiness,. and what not, we want 
a necessary touchstone of divine truth, and may be 
easily deceived by false doctrine, or brought to live in 
mere suspense concerning the truth of any religion, like 
the seekers. And if you mistake, and think those 
things to be effectual tliat. are not, and those that are 
effectual to be v/eak,. or of contrary effect, your error 
in this will be a false touchstone to try other doctrines,, 
whereby you will rea^lily approve of errors, and refuse 
the truth ; which hath been a pernicious occasion, of 



50 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

many errors in religion in late days.~Get but a true 
touchstone, by learning this lesson, and you will be 
able to tiy the various doctrines of Protestants, Papists, 
Arminians, Socinians, Antinominians, Quakers : and 
to discover the truth and cleave to it, with much satis- 
faction to your judgment, amongst all the janglings and 
controversies of these times.— Hereby you may dis- 
cover, whether the Protestant religion, established a- 
mong us, hath in it any sinews of Antinomianism ; 
whether it be guilty of any insufferable defect in prac- 
tical principles, and deserves to be altered, and turned 
almost upside down, with new doctrines and methods ; 
as some learned men, in late times, have judged by 
their touchstones. 

8th. It is also of great importance and necessity for 
our establishment in holij practice ; for we cannot apply 
ourselves to the practice of holiness, w^ith hope of suc- 
cess, except we have some faith concerning the divine 
assistance ; which we have no ground to expect, if we 
use not such means as God hath appointed to work by. 
*^ God meeteth these that remember him in his own 
Vv^ays," Isa. Ixiv. 5. and *^ makes a breach upon them 
that seek him not after the due order," 1 Chron, xv. 13. 
He hath chosen and ordained such means of sanctifica- 
tion and salvation, as are for his own glory, and those 
only he blesseth to us ; and he crowneth no man that 
striveth, except he strive laxvfully^ 2 Tim ii. 5. 

Experience sheweth plentifully, both of heathens and 
christians, how pernicious ignorance, or mistaking of 
these effectual means, is to a holy practice. The hea- 
thens generally fell short of an acceptable performance 
of those duties of the law which they knew, because of 
their ignorance in this point: 1. Many christians con- 
tent themselves with external performances because 
they never knew how they might attain to spiritual ser- 
vice. 2. And many reject the way of holiness as aus- 
tere and unple!^sant, because they knew not how to cut 
off a right hand, or pluck out a right eye, without in- 
tolerable pain ,• whereas they would find *^ the w^ays of 



OF SANCTIFICATION.^ n 

wisdom (if they knew them) to be ways of pleasantnes'S 
and all her paths peace," Prov. iii. 17. This occasion- 
eth the putting off repentance from time to time, as an 
uncouth thing. 3. Many others set upon the practice 
of holiness with a fervent zeal, and run very fast ; but 
tread not a step in the right way ; and finding themselves 
frequently disappointed and overcome by their lusts, 
they at last give over the work, and turn to wallow 
again in the mire : which hath occasioned several trea- 
tises, to shew how far a reprobate may go in the way 
of religion; whereby many v/eak saints are discouraged^ 
accounting that these reprobates have gone farther tjian 
themselves : whereas most of them never knew the 
right way, nor trode one step right in it ; for, " few 
there be tha.t find it." Mat. vii. 14. 4. Some of those 
ignorant zealots do inhumanly macerate their bodies 
with fasting, and other austerities, to kill their lusts ; 
and, when they see their lusts are still too hard for them^ 
they fall into despair, atid are driven by horror of con- 
science, to make w^ay with themselves wickedly, to the 
scandal of religion. Peradventure God may bless my 
discovery of the powerful means of holiness so far, as 
to save some one or other from killing themselves.—^ 
And such a fruit as this would countervail my labour ; 
though I hope, God will enlarge the hearts of m.any bjr 
it, to run with great cheerfulness, joy, and thanksgiving; 
in the ways of his commandments. 



33 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 



DIRECTION II. 

Several Endowments and Qiialifications are necessary to enable us 
for the immediate practice of the Law, Particularly, we must 
have an inclination and propensity of our hearts thereunto ; and 
therefore we must be well persuaded of our reconciliation with 
God, and of our future enjoyment of the everlasting- heavenly 
happiness, and of sufficient streng-th both, to will and to perform 
all duties acceptably, until we come to the enjoyment of that 
happine.'^S. 

EXPLICATION- 

Those vieans that are next to the attainment of the 
grand end aimed at, are first to be discovered, that we 
may iearn how to get them by other means, expressed, 
in the following directions. Therefore I have named 
here several qualijications and endowinents that are neces- 
sary to make up that holy frame and state of the soul, 
whereby it is furnished and enabled to practise the law 
immediately, and that not only in the beginning, but 
in the continuation of that practice. And therefore, 
note diligently, that these endowments must continue 
in us during the present life, or else our ability for an 
holy life will be lost : and they must be before practice,, 
not in any distance of time,, but only as the cause is 
before the effect. I do not say,, that I have named 
particularly all such necessary qitalifi cations ; but this 
much I dare say,, that he that gaineth these, may, by 
the same means, gain any other that should be ranked 
with them : and this is a matter worthy of our serious 
consideration; for few understand that any special en- 
dowments are required to furnish us for an holy prac- 
tice, more than for any voluntary actions. The first 
Adam had excellent endowments bestowed upon him 
for an holy practice, when Be was first created accord- 
ing to the image of God ; and the second Adam had 
endov/ments more excellent, to enable him for a har- 
der task of obedience. And seeing obedience is grown 
more difficult, by reasDu of the opposition and. temp- 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. 33 

tations that it meeteth with since the fall of Adam, 
we that are to be imitators of Christ, had need 
have very choice endowments, as Christ had ; at least 
as good or something better than Adam had at first, as 
our work is harder than his. " What king going to 
make war against another king sitteth not down first, 
and consulteth whether he be able, with ten thousand, 
to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thou- 
sand r" And shall we dare to rush into battle against 
all the powers of darkness, all worldly terrors and al- 
lurements, and our own inbred domineering corrup- 
tions, without considering whether we have suificient 
spiritual furniture to stand in the evil day ? yet many 
content themselves with such an ability to will and do 
their duty, as they would have to be given to men uni- 
versally ; w^hereby they are no better enabled for the 
spiritual battle, than the generality of the world, that 
lie vanquished under the wicked one ; and therefore 
their standing is not at all secured by it. It is a hard 
matter to find what this universal ability is, that so 
many contend so earnestly for, of what it consisteth, by 
what means it is conveyed to us, and maintained. 

Bodily agility hath spirits, nerves, ligaments, and 
bones to subsist by ; but this spiritual universal ability 
seemeth to be &ome occult quality, that no sufficient ac- 
count can be given how it is conveyed, or of what it is 
constituted* That none may deceive themselves, and 
miscarry in their enterprizes for holiness, by depending 
on such a weak occult quality, I have here shewed four 
ENDOWMENTS, of which a true ability, for the practice 
of holiness, must necessarily be constituted, and by which 
it must subsist and be maintained ; I intend to shew 
afterwards, by what means they are given to us, and 
whether the inclination or propensity here mentioned 
be perfect or imperfect. And they are of such a mys- 
terious nature, that some who own the necessity of en- 
dowments, to frame them for holiness, are prone to 
think, that less than these will serve ; and that some 
of these frame us rather 'for licentiousness than holi- 



34 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

ness, as they are here placed before any actual perform- 
ance of the moral law ; and that some things contrary 
to them would put us into a better frame for holiness* 
Against all which surmises, I shall endeavour such a 
demonstration of these endowments particularly, as 
may gain the assent of right reason ; insisting on them 
hi the same order wherein I have placed them in the 
direction. 

In the first place, I assert, that an inclination and 
propensity of heart, to the duties of the law, is neces- 
sary to frame and enable us for the immediate practice 
of them. And I mean not such a blind propensity as 
inanimate creatures and brutes have to their natural 
operations, but such a one as is meet for intelligent 
creatures, whereby they are, by the conduct of reason, 
prone and bent to approve and choose their duty, and 
averse to the practice of sin. And therefore I have 
intimated, that the three other endowments, mentioned 
in the direction, are subservient to this as the chief of 
all, which is sufficient to make it a rational propensity. 
This is contrary to those, that, out of zeal for obedi- 
ence, but not according to knowledge^ contend so ear- 
nestly for free will, as a necessary and sufficient en- 
dowment to enable us to perform our duty, when once 
we are convinced of it, and of our obligation to it ; 
and who extol this endowment, as the great benefit that 
universal redemption hath blessed all mankind with ; 
though they consider this free will without any actual 
inclination to good ; yea, they cannot but acknowledge 
that, in most of mankind that have it, it is incumbered 
with an actual bent ai\^ propensity of the heart alto- 
gether to evil. Such a free will as this is, can never free 
us from slavery to sin and Satan, and fit us for the 
practice of the lav/ ; and therefore is not worthy the 
pains of those that contend so hotly for it. Neither is 
the will so free as is necessary for the practice of holi- 
ness, until it be endued with an inclination and pro- 
pensity thereunto ; as may appear by the foUowiug ar- 
gunaents. 



OF SANCTIFICATION, 35 

Firsts The duties of the law are of such a nature, 
that they cannot possibly be performed while there is 
Avholly an aversion, or mere indifferency of the heart 
to the performance of them, and no good inclination 
and propensity towards the practice of them, because 
the chief of all the commandments is, to love, the Lord 
with our whole heart, might and soul ; to love every 
tiling that is in him ; to love his will, and all his ways, 
and to like them as good. And all duties must be in- 
fluenced, in their performance, by this love ; we must 
delight to do the will of God ; it must be sv/eeter to 
life than the honey or honey comb. Psalm xl. 8. Job 
xxxiii. 2. Psalm Ixiii. 1. cxix. 20. and xix. 10. And 
this love, liking, delight, longing, thirsting, sweet rel- 
ishing, must be continued to the end ; and the first in- 
deliberate motion of lust must be regulated by love to 
God and our neighbour; and sin must be lusted 
against. Gal. v. 17. and abhorred, Psalm xxxvi. 4. 
If it were true obedience (as some would have it) to 
love our duty only as a market man loveth foul ways 
to the market, or as a sick man loveth an unpleasant 
medicinal potion, or as a captive slave loveth his hard 
work for fear of a greater evil ; then it might be per- 
formed with averseness, or want of inclination ; but 
we must love it, as the market man gain, as the sick 
man health, as pleasant meat and drink, as the captive 
liberty. Doubtless there can be no power in the will 
for this kind of service, without an agreeableness of 
our inclination to the will of God, a heart according 
to his own heart, an aversion of our hearts from sin, 
and a kind of antipathy against sin ; for we know the 
proverb, " Like loveth like.'' There must be an agree- 
ableness in the person or thing beloved, to the disposi- 
tion of the lover. Love to God must flow from a clean 
heart, 1 Tim. i. 5 ; a heart cleansed from evil pro- 
pensities and inclinations. And reason will tell us that 
the first motions of lust which fall not under our choice 
and deliberations, cannot be avoided vrithout a fixed 
propensity of the heciit to holinecs. 



35 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

Second, The image of God (wherein God, accord- 
ing to his infinite wisdom, judged it meet to frame the 
first Adam in righteousness, and true holiness and up- 
rightness, Gen. i. 27. Eph. iv. 24. Eccles. vii. 29.) 
consisted in an actual bent and propensity of heart to 
tlie practice of holiness : not in a mere power of will 
to choose good or evil ; for this in itself, is neither holy 
nor unholy, but only a ground work, on which either 
the image of God, or of Satan may be drawn : nor in 
an indifference of propensity to the choice of sin or 
duty; for this wicked disposition in an intelligent crea- 
ture that knoweth his duty, and fitteth us only to halt 
between God and Baal. God set Adam's soul at first 
wholly in a right bent and inclination, though Adam 
Blight act contrary to it, if he would ; as we may be 
prevailed upon to do some things contrary to our natu- 
ral inclinations : and it is easy to fail of our duty, 
though great preparation and furniture be required for 
the performance of it. The second Adam also, the 
Lord Jesus Christ, was born an holy thing, Luke i. 35. 
with a holy disposition of his soul, and propensity to 
goodness. And can we reasonably hope to arise to the 
life of holiness, from which the first Adam fell, or to 
be imitators of Christ, since duty is made so difficult by 
the fall, if we be not renewed in a measure according 
to the same image of God, and enabled with such a 
r^ropenslty and inclination ? 

3d. Original corruption (whereby we are dead to 
God and godliness from the birth, and made willing 
slaves to the performance of all actual sins, until the Son 
of G jd make us free) consisteth in a propensity and in- 
crmation of the heart to sin, and averseness to holiness. 
-Without this propensity to sin, what can that " law of 
sin in our members be^ that wareth against the law of 
our mincl, and leadeth us captive to the serv'ice of sin ? ^^ 
Rom. vii. 23. What is that poison in us, for which 
liien may be called serpents, vipers ? What is that spirit 
pf whoredoms in men, by reason of which they will not 
f >'.i;ne their doings to turn to God ? Hos. v. 4. How is 



OF SAXCtlFICATION. 37 

the tree first corrupt, and then its fruit corrupt ? Matth. 
xii. 33. How can man be said to be abominable and fil- 
thy, that drinketh iniquity like water ? Job xv. 16. How 
should the mind of the flesh be continual enmity to the 
law of God ? Rom. xiii. 7. I know there is also a blind- 
ness of understanding, and other things belonging to 
original corruption,which conduce to this evil propensity 
of the will ; but yet this propensity itself is the great 
evil, and indwelling sin, which produceth all actual sins ; 
and must of necessity be removed or restrained, by re- 
storing the contrary inclination, wherein the image of 
God consisteth ; or else we shall be backward and re- 
probate to every good work, and whatever freedom 
tlie will hath, it shall be employed only in the service 
of sin. 

Fourth. God restoreth his people to holiness, by giv- 
ing to them '^ a new heart, and a new spirit, and taking 
av/ay the heart of stone out of their flesh, and giving 
them an heart of flesh," Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27 ; and he 
circumciseth their heart to love him with their whole 
heart and soul. And he requireth, that we should be 
transformed ^' in the renewing of our mind, that we 
may prove what is his acceptable will,^' Rom. xii. 2* 
and David prayeth for the same end, ^' that God would 
create in him a clean heart, and renew a right spirit 
within him," Psal. li. 10. If any one can judge, that 
this new, clean, circumcised heart, this heart of fleshy 
this new right spirit, is such a one as hath no actual in- 
clination and propensity to good, but only a pow er to 
choose good or evil, undeservedly called a free-will, with 
a present inclination to evil, or an indifference of pro- 
pensity to both contraries, it will not be worth my labour 
to convince such a judgment : only let him consider, 
whether David could account such a heart to be clean 
and right when he prayed, Psal. cxix. 36. *^ Incline 
mine heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetous- 
ness." 

The SECOND ENDOWMENT ncccssary to enable us 
for the immediate practice of holiness, and concurring 

D 



S8 THE GOSPEL ^lYSTERY 

with the two others that follow, to work in us a rational 
propensity to this practice, is that we be well persuaded 
of our reconciliation with God. We must reckon, that 
the breach of amity which sin hath made between God 
and us, is made up by a firm reconciliation to his love 
and favour. And herein I include the great benefit of 
justification, as the means whereby we are reconciled to 
God, which as described m scripture, either hy forgiv- 
ing our stns^ or by the imputat?on of righteousness to us, 
Rom. iv. o^Q)^ 7. because both are contained in one and 
the same justifying act ; as one act of illumination com- 
prehends expulsion of darkness, and introduction of 
light, one act of repentance containeth mortification of 
sin, and vivification to righteousness ; and every motion 
from any thing to its contrary, is but one and the same, 
though it may be expressed by divers nam.es, with res- 
pect either to the two contrary terms, the one of which 
is abolislied, the other introduced by it. This is a great 
mystery (contrary to the apprehensions, not only of 
the vulgar, but of some learned divines) that we must 
be reconciled to God, and justified by the remission of 
our sins, and imputation of righteousness, before any 
sincex-e obedience to the law; that we maybe enabled for 
;the practice of it* They account, that this doctrine 
tendeth to the subversion of a holy practice, a,nd is a 
great pillar of Antiiiomianism ; and that the only way 
to establish sincere obedience, is to make it ra.ther a 
condition to be performed before all actual justification, 
and reconciliation with God. Therefore some late di- 
vines have thought fit to bring the doctrine of former 
Protestants concerning justification to their anvil, and 
to hammer it into another form, that it might be more 
free from Antinomianism, and effectually to secure a 
iioly practice. But their labour is vain and pernicious, 
tending to Antinomian profaneness, or painted hypocri- 
sy at best ; neither can the true practice of holiness be 
secure, except the persuasion of our justification and re- 
conciliation with God, be first obtained without the 
works of the law, that we may be enabled thereby to do 



OF SANC TIFICATION. 59 

them, as I shall now prove by several arguments : in- 
tendmg also to shew, in the following directions, that 
such a persuasion of the love of God, as God giveth to 
his people, tendcth only to holiness, though a mispersua- 
sion of it be, in many, an occasion of licentiousness. 

First. When the first Adam was framed for the prac- 
tice of holiness at his creation, he was highly in the fa- 
vour of God, and had no sin imputed to him, and he 
was accounted righteous in the sight of God, according 
to his present state : because he was made upright ac- 
cording to God's image. And there is no reason to 
doubt but that these qualifications were his advantage 
for a holy practice, and the wisdom of God judged 
them good for that end : and, as soon as he lost them, 
he became dead in sin. The second Adam also, in our 
nature, was the beloved of the Father, accounted righ- 
teous in the sight of God, without the imputation of any 
sin to him, except what his office was to bear on the be- 
half of others. And can we reasonably expect to be 
imitators of Christ, by performing more difficult obedi- 
ence than the first Adam's was before the fall ; except 
the like advantages be given to us, by reconciliation and 
remission of sins^ and imputation of a righteousness 
given by God to us, when we have none of our own ? 

Second. Those that know their natural deadness un- 
der the power of sin and Satan, are fully convinced, 
that if God leave them to their own hearts, they can do 
nothing but sin ; and that they can do no good work, 
except it please God, of his great love and mercy, to 
work it in them, John viii. 36. Phil. ii. 13. Rom. viii. 
tr, 8. Therefore, that they may be encouraged and ra- 
tionally inclined to holiness, they must hope that God 
will work savingly in them. Now, I leave it to consi- 
derate men to judge, whether such a hope can be well 
grounded, without a good persuasion of such a reconci- 
liation and saving love of God to us, as depends not 
upon any precedent goodness of our works, but is a 
cause sufficient to produce them effectually in us ? Yea, 
we know further (if we know ourselves sufficiently) that 



40 TTIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

our death in sin proceeded from the guilt of the first sin 
of Adam, and the sentence denounced against it, Gen. 
ii. 17. and that it is still maintained in us by the guilt of 
sin, and the curse of the law ; and that spiritual life will 
never be given us, to free us from that dominion, except 
this guilt and curse be removed from us ; which is done 
by actual justification, GaL iii. 13, 14. Rom. vi. 14. 
And this is sufficient to make us despair of living to 
God in holiness, while we apprehend ourselves to be 
under the curse and wrath of God, by reason of our 
transgressions and sins still lying upon us, Ezek« 
xxxiii. 10. 

Third. The nature of the duties of the law is such, as 
requireth an apprehension of our reconciliation with 
God, and his hearty love and favour towards us for the 
doing of them> The great duty is love to God with 
their whole heart, and not such a contemplative love as 
philosophers may have to the object of sciences, which 
they are concerned in no further than to please their 
fancies in the knowledge of them ; but a practical love, 
whereby we are willing that God should be absolute 
Lord and governor over us and all the world, to dispose 
in us and all others according to his will, as to our tem- 
poral and everlasting condition, and that he should be 
the only portion and happiness of all those that are hap- 
py ; a love whereby we like every thing in him as he is 
our Lord I his justice as well as any other attribute, 
without wishing or desiring that he were better than he 
is ; and whereby we desire that his will be done upon 
us, and all others, whether prosperity or adversity, life 
or death ; and whereby we can heartily praise him for 
all things, and delight in our obedience to him, in do- 
ing his will, though we suffer that which is ever so 
grievous to us, even present death. Consider these 
things well, and you may easily perceive, that our spi- 
rits are not in a fit frame for the doing of them, while 
we apprehend ourselves under the curse and wrath of 
God, or while we are under prevailing suspicions that 
God will prove an enemy to us at last. Slavish fear 



OF S.\:^^CTIFICATION. 41 

may extort some slavish hypccritical performances from 
us, such as that of Pharaoh in ieuiug the Israelites go, , 
sore against his will: but the duty of love cannot be, 
extorted and forced by fear, but it must be won, and 
sweetly allured by an apprehension of God's love and 
goodness towards us ; as that eminent, loving, and be- 
loved disciple testifieth, 1 John iv. 18, 19. ''There is 
no fear in love,, but perfect love casteth out fear, be^ 
cause fear hath torment : he that feareth is not made 
perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved 
us." Observe here, that we cannot be beforehand with 
God in loving him, before we apprehend his love to us« , 
And consult your own experience, if you have any true 
love to God, whether it were not wrought in you by a 
sense of God's love first towards you ? AH the good- 
ness and excellency of God cannot render him an amia- - 
ble object to us, except we apprehend him an agreeable 
good to us. . I question not but the Devils know the 
excellency of God's' nature, as well as our greatest 
metaphysical speculators ; and this doth but fill them the 
more with tormenting horror and trembling, that is 
contraiy to love, James ii. 19., The greater God's ex- 
cellency and perfection is, the greater evil he is to us, 
if he hate us and curse us.v And therefore the princi- 
ple of self-preservation deeply rooted in our natures^ 
hindereth us from loving that which we apprehend as 
our destruction. , If a man be any enemy to us, we cant 
love him for the sake of our loving reconciled God, . 
because his love will make man's hatred to work for 
our good ; but if God himself be our enemy, for whose 
sake can we love him ? who is there that can free us 
from the evil of his enmity and turn it to our advantage, , 
until he be pleased to reconcile himself to us ? • 

Fourth. Our conscience must of necessity be first 
purged from dead works, that we may serve the living 
God. And this is done by actu?J remission of sin, pro- 
cured by the blood of Christ, and manifested to our 
consciences, as appeared by Christ's dying for this end» . 
Heb. ix. 14, 15, and x, 1, 2, 14, 1 r, 22o .That conscience 

D2 



43 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

whereby we judge ourselves to be under the guilt 
®f sin, and the wrath of God, is accounted an evil con- 
science in scripture, though it perform its office truly ; 
because it is caused by the evil of sin, and will itself be 
a cause of our committing more sin, until it can judge 
lis to be justified from all sin, and received into the fa- 
vour of God, Love, which is the end of the law, must 
proceed from a good conscience, as well as from any 
other cleanness of heart, 1 Tim. i, 5. David's mouth 
could not be opened to shew forth the praise of God, 
until he was delivered from blood guiltiness, Psal. li. 
14, 15. This evil, guilty conscience, whereby we judge 
that God is our enemy, and that his justice is against 
us to our everlasting condemnation, by reason of our 
sins, doth strongly maintain and increase the dominion 
of sin and Satan in us, a,nd working most mischievous 
effects in the soul against godliness, even to bring the 
soul to hate God, and to wish there were no God, no 
heaven, no hell, so we might escape the punishment 
due to us. It so disaffected! people toward God, that 
they cannot endure to think, or speak, or hear of him 
and his law ; but strive rather to put him out of their 
minds, by fleshly pleasures and worldly employments. 
And thus they are alienated from all true religion, only 
blinding it and stopping the mouth of it. It produceth 
zeal in many outside religious performances, and also 
false religion, idol?vtry and the most inhuman supersti- 
tion in the world. I have often considered, by what 
manner of working any sin could effectually destroy the 
whole image of God in the first Adam ; and I conclude, 
it was by working first an evil guilty conscience in 
him, v/liereby he judged that the just God was against 
him, and curaed him for that one sin. And this was 
enough to work a shameful nakedness by disorderly 
lusts, a turning his love wholly from God to the crea'^ 
ture, and a desire to be hidden from the presence of 
God, Gen. iii. 8, 10, which was a total destruction of 
the image of God's holiness. And we hi;ve cause to 
judge, that from the saijie cause proqeedeth thq conti- 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 43 

Dual malice, rancour, rage and blasphemy of the Devil, 
and many notorious wicked men, against God and god- 
liness. Some may think Job uncharitable in suspect- 
ing, not merely that his sons had sinned, but that they 
hiid been so abominably wicked as to curse God in 
their hearts, Job i, 5. But Job well understood, that 
if the guilt of any ordinary sin lies upon the conscience, 
it will make the soul to v/ish secretly, that (iod was 
not, or that he were not so just a judge ; w^hich is a se- 
cret cursing of God, that cannot be avoided, until our 
conscience be purged from the guilt of sin, by the of- 
fering of Christ for us, which was then figured out by 
the burnt-offering of Job for his sons. 

Fifth. God hath abundantly discovered to us, in his 
word, that hi^ method in bringing men from sin to ho- 
liness of life, is, first to make them know that he loveth 
them, and that their sins are blotted out. When he 
gave the ten commandments on mount Sinai, he first 
discovered himself to be their God, that had given theiu 
a &ure pledge of his salvation, by their delivery froni* 
Egypt, in the preface, Exod. xx. t. And during all 
the time of the Old Testament, God was pleased ta 
make the entrance into religion to be by circumcision ; 
which was not only a sign, but also a seal of the righte* 
ousness of faith, w^hereby God justifieth people, while 
they are considered as ungodly, Jlom. iv. 11, 15. And 
this seal was administered to children of eight days, 
old, before they could perform any condition of sincere 
obedience, for their justification, that their furniture 
for a holy practice might be ready beforehand. Fur- 
thermore, in the time of the Old Tesitament, God ap- 
pointed divers washings, and the blood of bulls and 
goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, 
to prepare and sanctify them for other parts of his wor- 
ship in his tLibemacle and temple : to figure out his 
purging their consciences from dead works by the 
blood of Christ, that they might serve the living God, 
Heb. ix. 10, 13, 14, 22. This, I say, was then figura- 
tive aancti&qatiqnj^ as the v/ord sanctification is tjikea. 



44 THE GOSPEL MYSTTERY 

in a large sense, comprehending all things that prepare 
us for the service of God, chiefly the remission of sin, 
ileb, X. 10, 14, 18. Though if it be taken in a strict 
sense, respecting only our conformity to the law, it 
must necessarily be placed after justification, accord- 
ing to the usual method of Protestant divines. God 
also minded them of the necessity of purging away 
their guilt first, that their service might be acceptable, 
by commanding them to offer the sin-oft'ering before 
the burnt-offering, liet. v. 8. and xvi. 3, 11. And lest 
the guilt of their sins should pollute the service of G od, 
notwithstanding all their particular expiations, God 
was pleased to appoint a general atonement for all their 
sins one day every year, wherein the scape-goat was 
^' to bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not 
inhabited,^' Lev. xvi. 22, 34. Under the New Testa- 
ment God useth the same method, in loving us first, 
and washing us from our sins by the blood of Christy , 
that he may make us priests, to offer the sacrifices of 
praise, and all good works to God, even the Father. 
He entereth us into his service, by washing away our 
sins in baptism : he feedeth and strengtheneth us for 
his service by remission of sins, given to us in the 
blood of Christ at the Lord'^s supper : he exhorteth us 
to obey him, because he hath already loved us, and our 
sins are already pardoned* '^ Forgive one another, 
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Be 
ye therefore follov/ers of God as dear children : and . 
walk in love,, as Christ hath loved us," Eph. iv. 32... 
and v. 1, 2. "I write unto, you, little children, be- 
cause your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. > 
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the 
world/' 1 Jo. ii. 12, 15. I might quote abundance of 
texts of the same nature. We may clearly see by all . 
this, that God hath accounted it a matter of great im- 
portance, , and hath condescended to take wonderful 
care in providing plentiful means, both under the Old . 
and New Testament, that his people might be first 
cleaiosed from guilt and reconciled to himself, to fit 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 45 

them for the acceptable practice of holiness. Away- 
then with all the contraiy methods of the new divinity. 

The THIRD ENDOWMENT necessary to enable us for 
the practice of holiness, without which, a persuasion of 
our reconciliation w^ith God would be of little efficacy 
to work in us a rational propensity to it, is, that we be 
persuaded of our future enjoyment of the everlasting 
heavenly happiness. Tliis must precede our holy 
practice as a cause disposing and alluring us to it. 
This assertion hath several sorts of adversaries to op- 
pose it. Some account, that a persuasion of our own 
future happiness, before we have persevered in sincere 
obedience, tendeth to licentiousness ; and that the w^ay 
to do good works, is rather to make them a condition 
necessary for the procuring of this persuasion. Others 
condemn all works that we are allured or stirred up to 
by the future enjoyment of the heavenly happiness, as 
legal, mercenary, flowing from self-love, and not from 
any pure love to God ; and they figure out sincere god- 
liness by a man bearing fire in one hand, to bum up 
heaven, and water in the other to quench hell ; intimat- 
ing, that the true service of God must not proceed at 
all from hope of reward, or fear of punishment, but 
only from love. To establish the truth asserted, against 
the errors that are so contrary to it, and to each other, 
I shall propose the ensuing considerations. 

1. The nature of the duties of the law, is such, that 
they cannot be sincerely and universally practised w^ith- 
out this endowment. That this endowment must be 
present in us, is sufficiently proved already, by all that I 
have said concerning the necessity of the persuasion of 
our firm reconciliation with God by our justification, to 
prepare us for this practice ; because that includeth a 
persuasion of this future happiness, or else it is of little 
worth. All that I have to add here, is, that sincere obe- 
dience cajinot rationally svibsist, except it be allured, 
encouraged, and supported by this persuasion. Let me 
therefore, suppose a Saddlicee believing no happiness 
after this life, and put the question, can ^nch a one lave 



46 THE GOSPEL [MYSTERY 

God with his rvhole hearty mighty and soul ? Will ho not 
think it reasonable, rather to lessen and moderate his 
love towards God, lest he should be over much troubled 
to part with him by death ? We account it most rea- 
sonable to sit loose in our affections from things that 
we must part with. Can such a one be satisfied with 
the enjoyment of God as his happiness? will he not 
rather account, that the enjoyment of God and all re- 
ligious duties, are vanities as well as other things ; be- 
cause in a little time we shall have no more benefit by 
them, than if they had never been ? How can such a 
one be willing to lay down his life for the sake of God, 
when, by his death, he must part with God, as well as 
with other things ? How can he willingly choose afflic- 
tions rather than sin, w^ien he shall be more miserable in 
this life for it, and not at all happy hereafter ? I grant, 
if afflictions come unavoidably upon such a person, he 
may reasonably judge, that patience is better for him 
than impatience ; but it will displease him, that he is 
forced to the use of such a virtue, and he will be prone 
to fret and murmur at his creator, and to wish he had 
never been, rather than to endure such miseries, and 
to be comforted only with vain transitory enjoyments. 
I think I have said enough to shew how unfurnished 
such a man is for holiness. And that he v/ill bum 
up heaven, and quench hell, that he may serve 
God out of love, doth thereby leave himself little bet- 
ter furnished than the Sadducee. The one denieth 
them, the other will not have them at all to be consi- 
dered in this case, 

2. The sure hope of the glory of heaven, is made 
use of ordinarily ])y God since the fall of Adam, as an 
encouragement to the practice of holiness, as the scrip- 
ture doth abundantly shew. Christ, the great pattern 
of holiness, " for the joy that was set before him, en- 
dured the cross, despising the shame,'' Heb. xii. 2. — 
And though I cannot say, that the first Adam had such 
a sure hope, to preserve him in innocency ; yet he had 
instead of it, the present possession of an earthly pa- 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 47 

radise, and a happy estate in it, which he knew would 
hist, if -le condnaed in holiness, or be changed into a 
better happiness. The apostles did not faint under af- 
fliction, because they knew that it wrought for them 
*^ a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," 
2 Cor. iv. 16, 17. The believing Hebrews " took joy- 
fully ih? sp')ilmg of their goods, knowing in them- 
selves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring 
substance," Heb. x. 34. The apostle Paul accounts 
ail iiis s after ings anprolitable, were it not for a glori- 
ous resurrection ; and that christians would be of all 
men most miserable, and that the doctrine of the epi- 
cures were rather to be chosen ; " let us eat and drink, 
for to-morrow we shall die." And he exorts the Co- 
rinthians to be " abundant in the work of the Lord, 
knowing that their labour shall not be in vain in the 
Lord," 1 Cor. xv. 58. As worldly hope keepeth the 
world at work in their various employments ; for God 
giveth his people the hope of his glory, to keep them 
close to his service, Heb. vi. 11, 12. 1 John, iii. 3. 
And it is such a sure hope as shall never make them 
ashamed, Rom. v. 5. Those that think it below the 
excellency of their love, to work from a hope of a 
heavenly reward, do thereby advance their love beyond 
the love of the apostles and primitive saints, and even 
of Christ himself. 

3. This persuasion of our future enjoyment of 
everlasting happiness cannot tend to licentiousness, if 
we understand well, that perfect holiness is a necessary 
part of that happiness, and that though we have but a 
title to that happiness by free justification and adop- 
tion, yet we must go to the possession of it in a way of 
holiness, 1 John iii. 1, 2, 3. Neither is it legal or 
mercenary, to be moved by this persuasion ; seeing the 
persuasion itself is not gotten by the works of the law, 
but by free grace through faith. Gal. v. 5. And if it 
be a working from self-love ; yet, for certain, it is not 
that carnal self-love which the scripture condemheth as 
the mother of sinfulness, 2 Tim. iii. 2; but a holy 



48 THE GOSPEL l^IYSTERT 

self-love, inclining us to prefer God above the flesh and 
the word, such as God dlrecteth us unto, when he ex- 
hortethusto save ourselves. Acts ii. 40. 1 Tim. iv. 16. 
And it is so far from being contrary to the pure love of 
God, that it brings us to love God more purely and en- 
tirely. - The more good and beneficial we apprehend 
God to us to all eternity, doubtless the more lovely 
God will be to us, and our affections will be the more 
inflamed towards him. God will not be loved as a brir- 
ren wilderness, a land of darkness to us, neither will 
he be served for nought, Jer. ii. 31. Isa. xiv. 19. He 
would think it a dishonour to him to be owned by us as 
our God, if he had not prepared for us a city, Ileb. xi. 
16. And he draweth us to love him by the cords of a 
man, such cords as the love of man useth to be drawn 
by, even by his own love to us, in laying his benefits 
before us, Hos. xi. 4. Therefore, the way for us to 
keep ourselves in the love of God is to look for his 
mercy unto eternal life, Jude verse 21. 

The LAST ENDOWMENT, for the same end as the for- 
mer, is, that we will h^ persuaded of sujpcient strength 
both to will and perform our duty acct^ptably, until v/c 
come to the enjoyment of the heavenly happiness.-— 
This is contrary to the error of those that account it 
sufficient, if we have strengtli to practise holiness, if 
v/e will, or to will it, if we please ; and this is sufficient 
strength which they earnestly contend for, as a great 
benefit bestowed on all mankind by universal redemp- 
tion. It is also contrary to the error of those that think 
tlie practice of godliness aaid wickedness to be alike 
easy, excepting only some difficulty in the first altera- 
tions of vicious customs, and in bearing persecutions, 
v/hich they account to be a rare case ; since the king- 
doms of the world have been brought to the profession 
of Christianity : or that think that God requireth of 
men only to do their endt^avour, that is what they can 
do ; and it is nonsense to say they cannot do what they 
can do. According to their judgment, it is needless 
to concern ourselves much about sufficient strength for 



OF SANCTIFlCATIOy. 49 



JP> 



holy practice. For the confirmation of the ass<:irtion, 
against those errors, take these arguments. 

1. We are by nature dead in trespasses and sins, 
unable to will or to do any thing that is spiiilually good, 
notwithstanding the redemption that is by Christ until 
v/e be actually quickened by Christ, Eph. ii. 1. Kom. 
viii. 7, 8, 9. Those that are sufficiently enlightened 
and humbled, know themselves to be naturally in this 
case ; and that they do not only want executive power 
to do good, but chiefly a heart to w^ill it, and to be 

E leased with it ; and that if God work it not in them 
oth to will and to do, they shall neither will nor do 
any thing pleasing to him, Phil. ii. 13 ; and that, if we 
leave them to their own corruption, after he hath be- 
gun the good work, they shall certainly prove vile 
apostates ; and their latter end will be worse than their 
beginning* We may conclude from hence, that who- 
soever can courageously attempt the practice of the 
lavv^, without being well persuaded of a sufficient power 
whereby he may be enabled to be heartily willing, as 
well as to perform when he is willing, until he hath 
gone through the whole work of obedience acceptably : 
such a one was never yet truly humbled and brought 
to know the plague of his own heart ; neither doth he 
truly believe the doctrine of original sin, whatsoever 
formal profession he makes of it. 

2. 'Those that think sincere conformity to the law, 
in ordinary cases, to be so very easy, shew that they 
neither know it nor themselves. Is it an easy thing 
"to wrestle, not against fiesh only, but ^' against prin- 
cipalities, powers and spiritual wickedness in high 
places r" Eph. vi. 12. Is it an easy thing not to lust 
or covet according to the tenth commandment ? The 
apostle Paul found it so difficult to obey this com- 
mandment, that his ronctipiscence prevailed the more 
by occasion of the commandment, Rom. vii. 7, 8. Our 
work is noi only to alter vicious customs, but to mor- 
tify corrjipt natural 'affections, which bred those cus- 
toms ; and not oni) to denv the fulfilling of sinful lust3^ 

1:: 



50 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

but to be full of holy love and desires : yet even the 
restraining the execution of corrupt lusts, and crossing 
. them by contrary actings, is, in many cases, like " the 
cutting off a right hand, or plucking out a right e)'e," 
Mat. V. 29, 30. If obedience be so easy, hov/ came it 
to pass that the heathens generally did those things, 
for which their own consciences condemned them as 
vrortliy of death ? Rom. i. 32 ; and that many am^ong 
us seek to enter into this ^' strait gate, and' are not 
able," Luke xiii. 24; and break so many vows and pur- 
poses of obedience, and fall back to the practice of 
their lusts, though, in the mean time, the fears of eter- 
nal damnation press hard upon their consciences ? 

As to those that find persecution for religion to be' 
so rare a thing, in late days, they have cause to be sus- 
pected that they are of the woild, and therefore the 
world loveth its own ; else they w culd find the national 
profession of religion will not secure those that are 
truly godly from several sorts of persecutions. And 
suppose men do not persecute us for religion, yet there 
is great difficulty in bearing great injuries from men 
on other accounts, and losses, poverty, bodily p^iins, 
long diseases, and untimely deaths, from the ordinary 
providence of God, with syxh hearty love to God, and 
to injurious men for his sake, raid such a patient acqui- 
escence in his will, as the law of God requireth. I 
acknovv ledge that the ^\ork of God is easy and j Ica- 
sant to those vvhom God riglitly furnlsheth wdth en- 
dowments for it; but those that assert it to be ersy to 
men, in their common condition, shev/ their Impruc.ence 
in contradicting the general experience of heather s and 
christians. Though many duties do not require much 
labour of body or mind, and might be done with ease, 
if we w^ere willing, yet it is easier to remove a moun- 
tain, than to move and incline ilie heart to will and 
affect the doing of them. 1 need not concern myself 
with those that account that all have suaicient strength 
for a holy practice, because they can do their erdea- 
Vourj that is. whrt they can do; for God requireth ac- 



OF SAXCTIFICATIOX. 51 

tual fiilfillhig of his commands. What, if by our en- 
deavours we can do nothing in any measure according 
to the rule, shall the law be put off with no perform- 
ance ? and shall such endeavours be accounted sufficient 
holiness ? And what if we cannot so much as endeavour 
in a right way? If a man's ability were the measure 
of acceptable duty, the commands of the law would 
signify very little. 

3. The wisdom of God hath ever furnished people 
w^ith a good persuasion of a sufficient strength, that 
they might be enabled both to Avill and to do their duty. 
The first Adam was furnished with such a strength ; 
and we have no cause to think that he w^as ignorant of 
it, or that he needed to fear that he should be left to 
his ovvii corruptions, because he had them not in him, 
until he produced them in himself, by sinning against 
strength : and when he had lost that strength, he could 
not recover the practice of holiness, until he was ac- 
quainted v>dth a better strength, whereby the head of 
•Satan should be bruised, Gen. ill. 15. Our Lord 
Christ, doubtless, knew the infmite powder of his Deity 
to enable him for all that he was to do and suffer in 
our nature. He knew the liord God w^ould help him, 
^' therefore he should not be confounded," Isa. i. 7. 
Tlie- scripture assureth w^hat plentiful assurance of 
strength God gave to Moses, Joshua, Gideon, when he 
called them to great employments : and to the Israel- 
ites, w^hen he called them to subdue the land of Canaan. 
Christ woiUd have the sons of Zebedee to consider, 
whether they were able " to drink of his cup, and to 
be baptized with the baptism that he was to be baptiz- 
ed with," Mat. XX. 22. Paul encourageth believers to 
the life of holiness, by persuading them tnat sin shall not 
prevail to get the dominion over them, because '^ they 
are not under the law, but under grace," Rom. iv. 13, 
14. And he exhorteth them to '^ be strong in the Lord, 
.and in the power of his might, that they might be able 
to stand against the wiles of the Dc^ il," Eph. vi. 10, 11. 
John exhorteth believers, "' net to love the Vi^orlcl, : cr 



52 TlIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

the things of the world," because they were " strong, 
and h?td overcome the wicked one," 1 John ii. 14, 15. 
They that were called of God, heretofore, to work 
miracles, were first acquainted with the gift of power 
to work them ; and no wise man v/ill attempt to do 
them, without knowledge of the gift : even so, v/hen 
men that are dead in sin are called to do the works of a 
holy life, which are in them great mira.cles, God mak- 
eth a discovery of the gift of power unto them., that he 
may encourage them, in a rational way, to such a won- 
derful enterprize^ 



DIRECTION III. 

The way to get holy endowments and qualifications necessarj' to 
frame and enable us for the immediate practice of the law, is to 
receive them out of the fulness of Christ, by fellowship with 
him : and that we may have this fellowship, we must be in Christ, 
and have Christ himself in us, by a mystical union with him* 

EXPLICATION. 

Here, as much as any where, we have great cause 
to acknowledge with the apostle, that, " zvithoitt contro- 
versy^ great is the mystery of godliness^'* even so great, 
that it could not have entered into the heart of man 
to conceive of it^ if God had not made it known^ in the 
gospel, by supernatural revelation. Yea, though it be 
revealed clearly in the holy scriptures, yet the natural 
man hath not eyes to see it there, for it is foolishness 
to him ; and, if God express it ever so plainly and pro- 
perly, he will think that God is speaking riddles and 
parables. And I doubt not but it is still a riddle and 
parable, even to many truly godly, that have received 
a holy nature in this way ; for the apostles themselves 
had not the saving benefit of it, before the comforter 
discovered it clearly to them, John xiv. 20. And they 
walked in Christ, as the way to the father, before 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX. 53 

they clearly knew him to be the way, John xiv. 5. — 
And the best of us know it but in part, and must wait 
for a perfect knowledge of it in another workU 

One great mystery is, that the holy frame and dis- 
position whereby our souls are furnished and enabled 
for immediate practice of the law, must be obtained 
by receiving it out of Chrisfs fulness^ as a thing already 
prepared and brought to an existence for us in Christ, 
and treasured up in him ; and that as we are justified 
by a righteousness wrought out in Christ, and imputed 
to us ; so we are sanctified by such a holy frame and 
qualifications as are first wrought out and completed in 
Christ for us, and then imputed to us. And as our 
natural corruption was produced originally in the first 
Adam, and propagated from him to us ; so, our new 
nature and holiness is first produced in Christ, and de- 
rived from him to us, or as it were propagated. So 
that we are not all to work together with Christ, in 
making or producing that holy frame in us, but only 
to take it to ourselves, and use it in our holy practice, 
as made ready to our hands. Thus we have fellow- 
ship with Christ, in receiving that holy frame of spirit 
that was originally in him : for fellowship is, when se- 
veral persons have the same thing in common, 1 John 
1. 1,2, 3. This mystery is so great, that notwith- 
standing all the light of the gospel, we commonly think 
that we must get a holy frame by producing it anew 
in ourselves, and by forming and working it out of our 
own hearts. Therefore many that are seriously de- 
vout, take a great deal of pains to mortify their corrupt 
nature, and beget an holy frame of heart in themselves, 
by striving earnestly to master their sinful lusts, and 
by pressing vehemently upon their hearts many mo- 
tives to godliness, labouring importunately to squeeze 
good qualifications out of them, as oil out of a fliiit. 
They account, that though they be justified by a right- 
eousness wrought out by Christ, yet they "must be 
sanctified by a holiness wrought out by themselves. — • 
And though out of humility, they are willing to call it 

E 2 



54 TIIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

infused grace^ yet thej^ think they must get the infusion 
of it by the same manner of working, as if it were 
wholly acquired by their own endeavours. On this 
account they acknowledge the entrance inta a gaudy 
life to be harsh and unpleasing, because it costs so 
much struggling with their own hearts and affections, 
to new frame them. If they knew that this way of en- 
trance is not only harsh and unpleasant, but altogether 
impossible ; and that the true v;ay of mortifying sin^ 
and quickening themselves to holiness, is by receiving 
a new nature out of the fulness of Christ ; and that wc 
do more to the production of a new nature, than of 
original sin, though v/e do more to the reception of it ; 
if they knew this, they might save themselves many a 
bitter agony, and a great deal of mis-spent burdensome 
labour, and employ their endeavours to enter in at the 
strait gate, in such a way as Vv ould be more pleasant 
and successful. 

Another great mystery in the way of sanctification, 
is, the glorious manner of ouv fell oxvs hip with Chi^at^ 
in receiving a holy frame of heart from him. It is by 
our being in Christ, vtvA having Christ himself in us ; 
and that not merely by this universal presence as he is 
God, but by such a close union, as that we are one 
spirit and one fitsh with him; which is a privilege pe- 
culiar to those that are truly sanctified. I may well 
call this a mystical tmion^ because the apostle calleth it 
a great mystery^ is an epistle full of mysteries, Eph. 
V. 22 ; intimating, that it is eminently great above many 
other mysteries. It is one of the three mystical un- 
ions that are the chief mysteries in religion. The 
other two are, the union of the trinity of persons in 
one godhead, and the union of the divine and human 
natures in one person, Jesus Christ, God and man. — 
Though we cannot frame an exact idea of the manner 
of any of these three unions in our imaginations, be- 
cause the depth of these mysteries is beyond our com- 
prehension ; yet we have cause to believe them all, be- 
cause they are clearly revealed ia scHpture^aKcl are a 



OF SAXCTmCATION. 55 

necessary foundation for other points of Christian doc- 
trine. Fctrticularly, this union between Christ and 
believers, is plain in several places of scripture, afEnn- 
ing that Christ is, and ^' dwelleth in believers, and 
they in him," John vi. 56. and xiv. 20; and that they 
are so joined togedier as to become one spirit^ 1 Cor, 
vi. 17; and that believers are '•^members of Christ's 
body, of his liesh, and of his bones, and they two, 
Christ and the church, are one flesh/^ Eph. v. 30, 31. 
Furdiermore, this union is iliustrated in scripture by 
various resemblances, which would be very much un- 
like the things which they are made use of to resemble^ 
and would rather seem to beguile us by obscuring the 
truth, than instruct us by illustrating of it, if there w^ere 
no true proper union bet"ween Christ and believers. 
It is resembled by the union between God the Father 
and Christy John xiv. 20. and xvii. 21,22, 23 ; between 
the vine and its branches^ John xv. 4, 5 ; between the 
head and body^ Eph. i. 22, 23 ; betv/een bread and the 
eat er^ 3 o\i\\ vi. 51,53,54. It is not only resembled y 
but sealed in tint Lord'^s svpper ; where neither the Pop- 
ish transubstantiation, nor the Ludierans consubstantia- 
tion, nor the Protestants spiritual presence of Christ's 
body and blood, to the true receivers, can stand with- 
out it. And if we can imagine that Christ's body and 
blood are not truh/ eaten and drank by believers, either 
spiritually or corporally, we shall make the bread and 
wine joined with the words of institution, not only 
naked signs, but such signs as are much more apt ta 
breed false notions in us, than to establish us in the 
truth. And there is nothing in this union so impossi- 
ble, or repugnant to reason, as may force us to depart 
from the plain and familiar sense of those scriptures 
that express and illustra.te it. Though Christ be in 
heaven, and we on earth, yet he can join our souls and 
bodies to his at such a distance, without any substan- 
tial change of either, by the same infinite Spirit dwel- 
ling in him a.nd us ; and so our flesh will become his, 
M'heu it is quickened by his Spirit, and his fl^-^sh ours^as 



56 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

Si 

truly as if we did eat his flesh and drink his blood ; and 
he will be in us himself by his Spirit, who is one with 
him, and who can unite more closely to Christ than 
any material substance can do, or who can make a more 
close and intimate union between Christ and us. And 
it will not follow from hence, that a believer is one per- 
son with Christ, any more than that Christ is one per- 
son with the Father, by that great mystical union. Nei- 
ther will a believer be hereby made God, but only the 
temple of God, as Christ's body and soul are ; and the 
Spirit's lively instrument, rather than the principal 
cause. Neither will a believer be necessarily perfect in 
holiness hereby ; or Christ made a sinner : for Christ 
knoweth how to dwell in believers by certain measures 
and degrees, and to make them holy so far only as he 
dwelleth in them. And though this union seem too 
high a preferment for such unworthy creatures as we 
are, yet, considering the preciousncss of the blood of 
God, whereby we are redeemed, we should dishonour 
God, if we should not expect a miraculous advance- 
ment to the highest dignity that creatures are capable 
of, through the merits of that blood. Neither is there 
any thing in this union, contrary to the judgment of 
sense, because the bond of the union being spiritual, 
falleth not at all under the judgment of sense. 

Several learned men of late acknowledge no other 
union between Christ and believers, than such as per- 
sons or things wholly separated, may have by their mu- 
tual relations to each other ; and accordingly they in- 
terpret tlie places of scripture that speak of this union. 
TV hen Christ is called the head of the churchy they ac- 
count, that a political head or governor is the thing 
meant. TVlien Christ is said to be in his people^ and 
they hi him^ they think that the proper meaning is, that 
Christ's law, doctrine, grace, salvation, or that godli- 
ness is in them, and embraced by them : so that Christ 
here must not be taken for Christ himself, but for some 
other thing wrought in them by Christ. When Christ 
and believers are said to be one spirit^ and onejleshy they 



OF SANC I IFICATIOX. $7 

understand it of the agreement of their minds and affec- 
tions : as if the greatest of the mystery of this union, 
mentioned, Eph, v. 32. consisted rather in a harsh trope, 
or a dark improper expression, than in the depth and 
abstruseness of the thing itself; and if Christ and his 
apostles had affected obscure intricate expressions, 
when they speak to the church ' )f things very plain, 
and easy to be understood. Thus that great myster}^ 
the union of believers with Christ himself, which is 
the glory of the church, and hath been highly owned 
formerly, both by antient fathers and many eminent 
protectant divines, particularly writers concerning the 
doctrine of the Lord's supper, and by a very general 
consent of the church in many ages, is now exploded 
Out of the new model of divinity. The reason of ex- 
ploding it, asl judge in charity, is not, because of cur 
learned refiners of divinity think themselves less able 
to defend it, than the other two mysterious unions, 
and to silence the objections of those proud sophisters, 
that will not believe what they cannot comprehend i 
but rather, because they account it to be one of the 
sinews of antinomianism, that lay unobserved in the 
former usual doctrine ; that it tendeth to puff up men 
with a persuasion, that they are justified and have 
eternal life in them already, and that they need not de- 
pend any longer upon their uncertain performances of 
the condition of sincere obedience for salvation : where- 
by they account the very foundation of a holy practice 
to be subverted. But the wisdom of God hath laid ano- 
ther manner of foundation for a holy practice than they 
imagine, of which this union (which the builders re- 
fuse) is a principal stone, next to the head of the cor- 
ner. And in opposition to their corrupt glosses upon 
the scriptures that prove it, I assert, that our union 
with Christ is the cause of our subjection to Christ as a 
political liead in all things, and of the abiding of his 
law, doctrine, grace, salvation and all godliness in viS, 
and of our agreement with him in our mind and affec- 
tions ] and therefore it cannot be altogether the saniQ 



58 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

thing with them. And this assertion is useful for a better 
understanding of the excellency of this union. It is not 
a privilege procured by our sincere obedience and ho- 
liness, as some may imagine, or a reward of good 
works, reserved for us in another v/orld ; but it is a pri- 
vilege bestowed upon believers in their very first en- 
trance into a holy state, on which all ability to do good 
works doth depend, and all sincere obedience to the 
law doth follow after it, as fri'.it produced by it. 

Having thus far explained the direction, 1 shall now 
shev/, that though the truth contained in it be above 
the reach of natural reason, yet it is evidently discover- 
ed to those that have their understandings opened, to 
discern that supernatural revelation of the jnysterious 
way of sanctification which God hath given to us in the 
holy scriptures. 

1. There are several places in scripture that do 
plainly express- it. Some texts shew ^' that all things 
pertaining to our salvation, are treasured up for us in 
Christ, and comprehended in his fulness ;'' so that we 
must have tliem thence, or not at all, Col- i. 9. " It 
pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dweil.-^ 
And in the same epistle. Col. ii. 11, 12, 13, the apostle 
sheweth that the holy nature, whereby we live to God^ 
was first produced in us b}' his death and resurrection. 
*^ In v/hom also ye are circumcised in putting cfF the 
body of the sins of the flesh : buried with him, quicken- 
ed together with him, when you v/ere dead in your sins.'^ 
Eph, i.'3. " Who hath blessed us v/ith all spiritual bless- 
ings in heavenly places in Christ." A holy frame of 
spirit, Vv^th all its necessary qualifications, must needs 
be comprehended herein, i?i all spiritual blessing's: and 
these are given us in Christ's person in heavenly places, 
as prepared and treasured up in him for us while we are 
upon earth : and therefore we must have our holy en- 
dowments out of him, or not at all. In this text some 
choose rather to read heavenhj things^ as in the margin, 
because neither places nor things are expressed in the 
original ; but the former textual reading is to be prefer- 



OF SANC riFICA TION. 59 

reel before the marginal, as being the proper sense of the 
original Greek phrase, which is, and must necessarily 
be so rendered in two other places of this same epistle, 
chap, iii, 10, and vi. 12. Another text is, 1 Cor. i. 30, 
Avhicli shew^eth tha^ '^ Christ is of tSod made unto us 
sanctification," by which we are able to walk holily ; 
as well as wisdom, by the the knowledge of which we 
are savingly wise ; and righteousness, by the imputation 
of which we are justified ; and redemption, whereby 
we are redeemed from all misery to the enjoyment of 
his glory, as our happiness in the heavenly kingdom. 
Other texts of scripture shew plainly, that we receive 
our holiness out of his fulness by fellowship with him : 
John i. 16, 17- *''' Of his fulness have w^e all received, 
rmd grace for grace." And it is understood of grace 
answerable to the law given by Moses, wdiich must 
netds include the grace of sanctifi cation : 1 John i. 3, 
5, 6, 7. '*• Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and 
with his Son Jesus Christ. God is light. If we walk 
in the light, as lie is in the light, w^e have fellowship 
one widi another." Hence v/e may infer, that our fel- 
lowship widi God and Christ, doth include particularly 
our having light, and walk in it holily and righteously. 
I'here are other texts that reach the proof of the whole 
direction fully ; shewing not only that our holy endow- 
ments are made ready first in Christ for us, and received 
from Christ: but that we receive them by union with 
Christ, Col. iii. 10, 11. " Ye have put on the new 
man, which is renewed after the image of him that 
created him ; v/here Christ is all and in all. 1 Cor. vi. 
17. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Gal. 
ii. 20. I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. 1 
John V. 11, 12. This is the record, that God hath 
given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He 
that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the 
Son, hath not life." Can we desire that God should 
more clearly teach us, that all the fulness of the new 
man is in Christ, and all that spiritual nature and life 
whereby we live to God in holiness, and that they are 



60 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

fixed in him so inseparably, that we cannot have them. 
except \ve be joined to him, and have himself abiding 
in. us i Take heed, lest through prejudice and hardness 
oi heart, you be guilty of making (lod a liar, in not be- 
lieving this eminent record that God hath given to us 
of his Son. 

2, God is pleased to illustrate this mysterious man- 
ner of our sanctiiication, by such a variety of si.niHtvdes 
and resemblances^ as may put us out of doubt that it is 
truth, :ind such a truth as v/e are highly concerned to 
know a.nd believe. I shall endeavovu' to contract the 
chief of these resemblances, and the force of them, 
briefly Into one sentence ; leaving it to those that are 
spiritual to enlarge their meditation upon them. We 
receive from Christ a new holy frame and nature, 
whereby we are enabled for a holy practice, by union 
and fellovvship with him, in like manner. 1. As Christ 
lived in our nature by the Father, John vi. 57 • 2. As 
we receive original sin and death propagated to us from 
the first Adam, Rom. v. 12, 14, 16, 17. 3. As the 
natural body receiveth sense, motion and nourishment, 
from the head, Col. ii. 16. 4. As the branch receiv- 
eth its sap, juice and fructifying virtue from the vine, 
John XV. 4, 5. 5. x\s the wife bringeth forth fruit by 
vi];tue of her conjugal union with her husband, Rom. 
vii. 4. 6. As stones become a holy temple, by being 
built upon tlie foundation, and joined with the chief 
corner-stone, 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5, 6. 7. As v/e receive the 
nourishing \drtue of bread by eating it, and of wine, by 
drinking it, John vi. 51, 55^ 57; whiqh last resem^blance 
is used to seal to us our communion with Christ in the 
Lord's Supper. Here are seven resemblances instanced, 
whereof some do illustrate the mj'steiy spoken of more 
fully than others : all of them do someway intimate, that 
our new life and holy nature are first in Christ, and then 
in us, by a true proper union and fellow^ship v/ith him. 
If any should urge, that the similitude of Adam and his 
seed, and of married couples, do make rather for a re- 
lative than area! luiion betwixt Christ and us : let them 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 61 

eonsider, that all nations are really made of one blood, 
which was first in Adam, Acts xvii. 26 ; and that the 
first woman v/as made out of the body of Adam, and 
was really bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. And 
by this first married couple, the mystical union of 
Christ and his church, is eminently resembled, Gen. 
ii. 20, 23, 24. Eph. v. 30, 31, 32. And yet it sup- 
poseth both these resemblances in the nearness and ful- 
ness of them ; because those that are joined to the 
Lord, are not only one fiesh^ but one spirit v/ith him. 

3. The end of Christ's incarnation, death and resur- 
rection, was to prepare and form a holy nature and 
frame for us in himself, to be communicated to us by- 
union and fellowship with him ; and not to enable us to 
produce in ourselves the first original of such a holy na- 
ture by our own endeavours. 

1. By his incarnation^ there was a man created in a 
new holy frame, after the holiness of the first Adam's 
frame had been marred and abolished by the first trans^ 
gression : and this new frame was far more excellent 
than ever the first Adam's was ; because man was really 
joined to God by a close inseparable union of the di- 
vine and human natures in one person, Christ; so that 
these natures had communion, each with the other, in 
their actings, and Christ was able to act in his human 
nature, by power proper to the divine nature, wherein 
he was one God with the Father. And the words that 
he spake while that he was here on earth, he spake not 
of himself by any mere human power, but the Father 
that dv/elt in him, he did the works, John xiv. 10. 
Why was it that Christ set up the fallen nature of man, 
in such a wonderful frame of holiness, in bringing it to 
live and act by communion with God, living and act- 
ing in it ? One great end was, that he might commu- 
tiicate this excellent frame to his seed, that should be 
born of him and in him, by his Spirit, as the last Acjam, 
the quickening Spirit ; that ^^ as we have borne the 
image of the earthly man, so we might also bear the 
image of the heavenlv," 1 Cor. x. 45, 46, in holiness 



63 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

here, and in glory hereafter, l^'hus he was bom Im- 
MANUEL, God 'With us ; because the fulness of the God- 
head, with all holiness, did first dwell in him bodilv, 
even in his human nature ; that we might be filled up 
with that fulness in him. Mat. i. 23. Col. ii. 9, 10. 
Thus he came from heaven as living bread, that, as he 
liveth by the Father, so that those that eat him, may 
live by him, John vi. 51, 59. by the same life of God 
in them that was first in him. 

2. By his deaths he freed himself from the guilt of 
Gur sins imputed to him, and from all that innocent 
v/eakness of his human nature, which he had borne for 
a time, for our sakes. And by freeing himself, he pre- 
pared a freedom for us, from our whole natural condi- 
tion, which is both weak, as his was, and also polluted 
with our guilt and sinful corruption. Thus the corrupt 
natural estate, which is called in scripture the old mau^ 
was crucified together with Christ, that the body of sin 
might be destroyed. And it is destroyed in us, not 
by any wounds that we ourselves can give to it, but by 
our partaking of that freedom from it, and death unto 
it, that is already wrought out for us by the death of 
Christ, as is signified by our baptism, wherein we are 
buried with him by the application of his death to us, 
IJcm. vi« 2, 3, 4, 10, 11. ^' God sending his own Son 
in the likeness of sinful flesh, for sin, (or by a sacrifice 
for sin, as in the margin) condemned sin in the flesh ; 
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in 
vis, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," 
Horn. vili. 3, 5. Observe here, that though Christ died 
that we might be justified by the righteousness of God 
and of laith, not by our own rig^hteousness, Vv hich is of 
the law^ Rom. x. 4, 5, 6. Phil, iii, 9. yet he died also, 
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in 
us, and that by walking after his Spirit, as those that 
are in Christ, Rom. tbid. He is resembled in his death 
to a corn of wheat dying in the earth, that it ma}' pro- 
pagate its own nature, by bringing forth much fruit, 
JTchii xii. 24 ; to the passover that was slain, that a feast 



OP S ANCTIFICATION. m 

might be kept upon it; and to bread broken, that it 
may be nourishment to those that eat it, 1 Cor. v. 7y &. 
xi* 24; to the rock smitten, that water may gush out 
of it for us to drink, 1 Cor. x. 4* He died, that he 
might make of Jew and Gentile, one new man in him- 
self, Eph. ii. 15. and that he might see liis seed, i. e^ 
such as derive their holy nature from him. Isa. liii. 10. 
Let these scriptures be well observed, and they will 
sufficiently evidence that Christ died, not that we might 
be able to form a holy nature in ourselves, but that we 
might receive one ready prepared and formed in Christ 
for us, by union and fellowship v»^ith him. 

3. By his resurrection^ he took possession of spiritual 
life for Us, as now fully procured /or us, and made to 
be our right and property by the merit of his death ; 
and therefore we are said to be quickened together* with 
Christ, even when we were dead in sins, and to be raised 
vip together, yea, and to be made to sit together in hea- 
venly places, m Christ Jesus, as our head, while we 
continue upon earth in our own persons, Eph. ii. 5, 6. 
His resurrection was our resurrection to the life of ho- 
liness, as Adam's fall was our fall into spiritual death* 
And we are not ourselves the first makers and formers 
of our new holy nature, any more than our original cor- 
ruption ; but both are formed ready for us to partake 
of them. And by union with Christ, we partake of 
that spiritual life that he took possession of for us at his 
resurrection, and thereby we are enabled to bring forth 
the fruits of it, as the scripture sheweth by the simili- 
tude of a marriage union, Rom. vii. 4. " We are mar- 
ried to him that is risen from the dead, that we might 
bring forth fruit unto God.'^ Baptism signifieth the 
application of Christ's resurrection to us as well as his 
death ; we are raised up with him in it, to nev/ness of 
life, as well as buried with him ; and we are taught 
thereby, that because " he died unto sin once, and li\>- 
eth unto God, we should likewise reckon ourselves to 
be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, through 
Jesus Christ our Ix)rd," Rom. vi. 4,. 5,. 10, 11. 



64 'nm GOSPEL MYSTERY 

4. Our sanctification is by the Holy Ghost^ by whom 
we live and walk holily, Rom. xv. 16. Gal. v. 25. 
Now, the Holy Ghost jfirst rested on Christ In all ful- 
ness, that he might be communicated from him to us, 
•as was sigriified to John the Baptist, by the similitude 
of the descending of a dove from the opened heavens, 
resting on Christ at his baptism, John i. 32, 33. And 
when he sanctifieth us, he baptizeth us unto Christ, and 
joineth us to Christ by himself, as the great bond of 
union, 1 Cor. xii. 30. So that according to the scrip- . 
tural phrase, it is all one to have Christ himself, and to 
have the Spirit of Christ in us, Rom. viii. 9, 10. '^ He 
glorifieth Christ ; for he receiveth those things that are 
Christ's, ar.d shewtth them to us," John xvi. 14, 15. 
He giveth us experimental knowledge of those spiritual 
blessings w hich he himself prepared for us by the in- 
carnation, death and resurrection of Christ. 

5. The effectual causes of those four principal en- 
dowments, which, in the foregoing direction, were asr- 
Berted as necessary to furnish us for the immediate 
practice of holiness, are comprehended in the fulness of 
Christy and treasured up for us in him ; and the endow- 
ments themselves, together with their causes, are at- 
tained richly by union and fellowship v/ith him. If we 
be joined to Christ, our hearts will be no longer left 
under the power of sinful inclinations, or in a mere in- 
differency of inclination to good or evil, but they will be 
powerfully endowed with a power, bent and propensity 
to the practice of holiness, by the Spirit of Christ dwell- 
ing in us, and inclining us to mind spiritual things, and 
to lust against the flesh, Rom. yiii. 1, 4, 5. Gal. v. 17. 
And w^e have in Christ a full reconciliation w ith God, 
and an advancement into higher favour with him, than 
the first Adam had in the state of innocency ; because 
the righteousness that Christ wrought out for us by his 
obedience unto the death, is imputed to us for our jus- 
tification, which is called the righteousness of God^ be- 
cause it is v/rought by one that is God as well as man ; 
and therefore it is of infinite value to satisfy the justice 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. 65 

of God for all our sins, and to procure his pardon and 
highest favour for us, 2 Cor., v.. 21. liorn. i. 19. And, 
that we may be persuaded of his reconciliation, we re- 
ceive the spirit of adoption through Christ, whereby we 
cry, Abba^ Father, Rom. viii. 15. Hereby also we are 
persuaded of our future enjoy^iients of everlasting hap- 
piness, and of sufficient strength both to will and to per- 
form, our duty acceptably, until we come to that enjpy- 
m^ent.. For the spirit of adoption teacheth us to con- 
clude,, that if we be the children of God, then we are 
heirs of God, 7mA joint heirs xvith Christ; and that the 
law of the spirit of life, that is in Christ Jesus, maketh 
lis free from the law of sin and death ; and. that nothing 
shall be against us, nothing shall separate us from the 
love of God in Christ ;. but in all opposition and difficul- 
ties that we meet with, we shall be at last " more than 
conquerors through him that, loved us," Rom. viii... 1 Z, 
23,. 35,. 37^ 39-. 

Furthermore, this comfortable persuasionof our juc- 
tification and future happiness, and all saving privileges, 
C2innot tend to licentiousness, as it is given only in this 
•way <^ i^/2?/?;2 with Christ ; because it is joined insepa- 
rably with't the gift of sanctijicationyhy the Spirit of 
Christ : so that we cannot have justification, or any sav- 
ing priA^ilege in. Christ, except we receive Christ himr 
self and his holiness^ as well as any otluer benefit ; as the 
scripture testifieth,^' that there is no condemnation to 
them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the 
flesh, but after the Spirit," Rom- viii* 1. 

6. Whereas it maybe doubted whether the saints 
that lived before the coming of Christ in the flesh, could 
possibly be one flesh with him,, and. receive a new na- 
ture by union and fellov^ship with him,, as. prepared for 
them in his fulness: v/e are to know that the same 
Christ that; took our flesh,, was before Abraham, John 
viii. 58 ; and.was fore-ordained before the foundation 
of the world, to be sacrificed as a lamb without blemr- 
ish, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, by his 
m:gcious blood, 1 Pet. i. 18— -20; and that he had the 

F2 



66 TIIE GOSPEL ]\rYSTERY 

same Spirit then, which filled his human nature with 
all its fulness afterwards, and raised it from the dead ; 
and he gave that Spirit then to the church, 1 Pet. i. !!• 
and iii. 18, 19. Now this Spirit was able and effectual 
to unite those saints, to that flesh which Christ was to 
take to himself in the fulness of time, because he v/as 
the same in both, and to give out to them that giace 
with which Christ would afterwards fill his flesh for 
their salvation, as well as ours. Therefore David ac- 
counted Christ's flesh to be his, and spake of Christ's 
death and resurrection as his own, beforehand, as well 
as any of us can do since their accomplishment, PsaL 
xvi. 9, 10, 11. " My flesh also shall rest in hope : For 
thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; neither wilt thou 
suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt shew 
me the path of life." Yea, the saints before .David's 
time, ^^ did all eat the same spiritual meat, and drink 
of the same spiritual drink," even of the same Christ 
as we do ; and therefore were partakers of the same 
privilege of union and fellowship with Christ, 1 Cor. x*. 
5, 4. And when Christ was manifested in the flesh, iu 
the fulness of time, all things in heaven and earth, all 
the saints departed, whose spirits rvej-e then viade per- 
fect h} heaven^ as well as those saints that then were, 
or should afterwards be on earth, were gathered toge- 
ther in one^ and comprehended in Christ as their head^ 
Eph. i. 10. And he was " the chief corner-stone, in 
whom the building of the whole church upon the foun- 
dation of the prophets" before, and the apostles aftey 
his coming, '^ being fitly framed together, groweth into 
a holy temple in the Lord," Eph.. ii. 20, 21. " Jesus 
Christ is the same yesterday, to-day and for ever," 
Heb. viii. 8. His inccumation,, death and reszirrection^ 
were the cai/se of all the holiness that ever was or shall 
be given to man, from the rail of Adam to the end of 
the world; and that by the mighty power ef his Spirit, 
whereby all saints that ever were, or shall be, are join- 
ed together, to be members of that one mystical body 
>yhereof he is the head^- ■ 



or SANGTIFICATIOX. 6' 

DIRECTION IV. 

The mearis or instruments whereby the Spirit of God accomplisheth 
our union with Christ, and our fellowship with him in all holiness^ 
are the gospel, wliereby Christ enteretli into our hearts to work 
faith in us ; and faith, whereby we actually receive Christ him- 
self, with all his fulness, into our hearts. A.nd this faith is a 
grace of the Spirit, whereby we heartily believe vhe gospel, and 
also beheve on Christ, as he is revealed and freely promised to 
VIS therein, for all his salvation. 

EXPLICATION. 

That which I asserted in the foregoing direction, 
conceming the necessity of our being in Christ, and 
having Christ in us, by a mystical union, to enable us 
for a holy practice, might put us to a stand in our en- 
deavours for holiness ; because we cannot imagine how 
we should be able to raise ourselves above our naturaj 
sphere, to this glorious union and fellowship, until God 
be pleased to make known to us, by supeiiiatural reve-^ 
lation, the means whereby his Spirit rnaketh us partak- 
ers of so high a privilege. But God is pleased to help 
us, when at a stand, to go on forward, by revealing two 
means or instruments whereby his Spirit accomplisheth 
the mystical union and fellowship between Christ and us, 
and whereby rational creatures are capable of attaining^, 
thereunto, by his Spirit working in them. 

One of these means is the g-ospeloi the grace of God r 
wherein God doth make known to us the unsearchable 
riches of Christ, and Christ in us, the hope of glory,. 
Eph. iii^ 8. Col. i. 27.. and duth also invite us and com- 
mand us to believe on Christ for his salvation, and doth 
encourage vis by a free promise of that salvation, to all 
that believe on him. Acts xiv. 3U Rom. x. 9, 11.— -4^ 
This is God's own instrument of conveyance,- wherein 
he sendeth Christ to us^, to bless us widi his salvation,. 
Acts iii. 26.. It is the ministration of the Spirit and 
of righteousness, 2 Cor.iii. 6, 8, 9. Faith comethby the 
bearing of it; and therefore it is. the great instrument. 



58 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

whereby we are begotten 5n Christ, and he is fonneA 
in us, Rom. x. 16, 17. 1 Cor. iv. 13. Gal. iv. 19.— 
There is no need for us to say in our hearts, "who 
will ascend into heaven, or bring Christ down from 
above? or, who shall descend into the deep, to bring 
Christ up from the dead," that we may be united, and 
have fellowship with him in his death and resurrection ? 
for, the ziwrd is 7iigh to tw?,,the gospel, the word of faith 
in which Christ himself graciously condescendeth to 
be nigh to us ; so that we may come at him there^, 
without going any farther,., if we desire to be joined 
to him, Rom. x. 6, 7, 8. 

The other of these means is faith that !& wrought in 
us by the gospeL This is our instrument of reception,, 
whereby the union between Christ and us is accom- 
plished on our part,^ by our actual receiving with Christ 
himself,- with alibis fulness, into our heart; which is 
the principal subject of the present explanation. 

The faith which philosophers commonly treat of is 
only a habit of th« understanding, whereby we assent 
to a testimony upon the authority of the testifier. Ac* 
cordingly, some would have faith in Christ to be no 
more than a believing the truth of things in religion^, 
upon the authority of Christ testifying them.. But the 
apostle sheweth, that the faith whereby we are justifi- 
ed, is "faith in Christ^s blood," Rom..iii. 24, 25. not 
only in his authority as a testifier. And though a mere 
assent to a testimony were sufficient faith for knowledge 
of things,, which the philosophers aimed at ; yet we 
are to consider, that the design of saving faith^ is not 
only to know the trutli^ of Christ and his salvation, 
testified and promised in the gospel, but also to appre- 
hend and receive him and his salvation, as given by 
and with the promise. Therefore, saving faith must 
necessarily contain two acts, believing the truth of the 
gospel, and believing on Christ, as promised freely to- 
us in the gospel, for salvation. By the one,, it con* 
eeiveth the means wherein Christ is conveyed to us ;: 
by the other, it recaiveth Christ himself^ and his jsalvar 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 69 

tion 771 the meaiis^ as it is one act, to receive the breast 
or cup wherein milk or wine are conveyed, and another 
act, to suck the milk in the breast, and to drink the 
wine in the cup. And both these acts must be per- 
formed heartily, with an unfeigned love to the truth, 
and a desire of Christ and his salvation above all things. 
This is our spiritual appetite, which is truly necessary 
for our eating and drinking Christ, the food of life, 
as a natural appetite is for bodily nourishment. Our 
assenting unto, or believing the gospel, must not be 
forced by mere conviction of the truth, such as wicked 
men and devils may be brought to, when they had 
rather it -were false ; neither must our believing in 
Christ be ,only constrained, for fear of damnation, 
w^ithout any he?a'ty love and desire towards the enjoy- 
ment of him ; but we must receive the love of the 
truth, by relinquishing the godliness and excellency of 
it ; and we must " account all these things loss for the 
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, 
and count them but dung, that we may v/in Christ and 
be found in him," 2 Thess. ii. 10. Phil. iii. 8, 9.--*-' 
Esteeming Christ to be all our salvation and happiness, 
Col. iii. 11. ^^ In whom all fulness doth dwell," Col. 
i. 1 9. And this love must be to every part of Christ's 
salvation : to holiness as well as forgiveness of sins. 
We must desire earnestly, that God would " create in 
us a clean heart and right spirit," as v/ell as '' hide 
his face from our sins," Psal. li. 9, 10 ; not like many 
that care for nothing in Christ but only deliverance 
from hell. " Blessed are they that hunger and thirst 
after righteousness, for they shall be filled," Mat, v. 6. 
The former of these acts doth iminediately imite lis 
to Christ, because it is terminated only on the means of 
cowoeyance^ the gospel ; yet it is a saving' act^ if it be 
rightly performed, because it inclineth and disposeth 
the soul to the latter act, whereby Christ himself is 
immediately received into the heart. He that believeth 
the gospel with hearty love and liking, as the m.ost ex- 
cellent truth, will certainly^ with the like heartiness 



ro THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

believe on Christ for his salvation. " They that know 
the name of the Lord, will certainly put their trust in 
him,'' Psalm ix. 10. Therefore, in scripture, saving- 
faith is sometimes described by the former of these 
acts, as if it were a mere believing the gospel ; some- 
times by the latter, as a believing on Christ, or in Christ, 
R )m. X. 9. " If thou believest in thine heart, that 
God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." 
Verse 11. " The scripture saith, that whosoever be- 
lieveth on him, shall not be ashamed." 1 John v. 1. 
*^ Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born 
of God.-' Verse 13. *'- These things have I w^ritten 
unto you that believe on the name of the son of God, 
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that 
ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." 

For the better understanding of the nature of faith, 
let it be further observed, that the second and principal 
act of It, believing on Christ, inchideth believing on God 
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; because they are one 
and the same infinite God, and they all concur in our 
salvation by Christ, as the only mediator between God 
and us, " in whom all the promises of God are yea and 
amen," 2 Cor. i. 20. *^ By him (as mediator) we believe 
on God^ that raised him from the dead, and gave him 
glory, that our faith and hope might be in God," 1 Pet. i. 
21. And it is the same thing with trusting' on God, or 
on the Lord, which is so highly commended in the whole 
scripture especially in the Old Testament ; as may easi- 
ly appear, by considering, that it hath the same causes, 
effects, objects, adjuncts, opposites, and all the same cir- 
cumstancesy excepting only that it had a respect to 
Christ as promised before his coming, and now it re- 
specteth him as already come in the flesh. " Believing 
on the Lord, and trusting in his salvation," are equivalent 
terms, that explain one another, Psal. lxxviii.22. I con- 
fess, that trusting on things seen, or known by die mere 
light of reason, as our own wisdom, power, riches, on 
princes, or any arm of flesh, may not so properly be 
called believing en them ; but trusting on a Saviour as 



OF SANCIIFICATIOX, 71 

discovered by a testimony, is properly believing on 
him. It is also the same thing* that is expressed by 
the terms of resting, relying, leaning, staying ourselves 
on tlie Lord, caiied hoping in die Lord ; because it is 
the ground of that expectation which is the proper act 
of hope, though our believmg and trusting be for the 
present as well as future benefit of this salvation. The 
reason why it is so commonly expressed, in the scrip- 
tures of the New Testament, by the terms of believing^ 
on Christy might be probably, because, when that p?crt 
of scripture v/as written, there was cause, in a special 
manner, to urge believing the testimony that was then 
newly revealed by the gospel. 

Having thus explained the nature of faith, I come 
now to assert its proper use and office in our salvation. 
'^J'hat it is the means and instrument whereby we re- 
ceive Christ and all his fulness, actually into our hearts. 
This excellent use and office of faith is encountered by 
a multitude of errors. Men naturally esteem that it is 
too small and slight a thing to produce so great effects, 
as Naaman thought w^ashing in Jordan too small a 
matter for the cure of his leprosy. They contemn the 
true means of entering in at the strait gate, because 
they seem too easy for such purpose ; and thereby they 
make the entrance not only difficult, but impossible to 
themselves. Some will allow that faith is the sole con- 
dition of our justification^ and the instrument to receive 
it, according to the scriptural doctrine maintained for- 
merly by the protestants against the papists ; but they 
account that it is not sufficient or eifectual to sanctifica- 
tion, but that it rather tendeth to licentiousness, if it 
be not joined with some other means, that may be pow- 
erful and effectual to secure any holy practice. They 
commend this great doctrine of protestants, as a com- 
fortable cordial for persons on their death-beds, or in 
agonies under terrors of conscience ; but they account 
that it is not good for ordinary food, and that it is wis- 
dom in ministers to preach it seldom and sparingly, 
and not without sqme antidote or corrective, to prevent 



72 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

the licentiousness to which it tendeth. Their common 
antidote or corrective is, that sanctification is necessary 
to salvation as well as justification; and that though 
we be justified by faith, yet we are sanctified by our 
own performance of the law : and so they set up salva- 
tion by works, and make the grace of justification to be 
of none effect, and not at all comfortable. If it had in- 
deed such a malignant influence upon practice, it could 
not be owned as a doctrine proceeding from the most 
holy God ; and all the comfort that it affords, must 
needs be ungrounded and deceitful. This consequence 
is well understood by some late refiners of the protest- 
ant religion ; and therefore they have thought -fit to 
new-model this doctrine, and to make saving faith to 
be only a condition to procure a right and title to our 
justification by the righteousness of Christ, which must 
be performed before we can lay any good claim to the 
enjoyment of it, and before we ha.ve any right to use 
any instrument for the actual receiving of it ; and this 
they call an accepting of, and receiving Christ. And, 
that they may the better secure the practice of holiness, 
by their conditional faith, they will not have trusting 
in God or Christ for sahatioji^ to be accounted the prin- 
cipal saving act of it ; because, as it seemeth to them, 
many loose wicked people trust on God and Christ for 
their salvation as much as others, and are by their con- 
fidence, hardened the more in their wickedness ; but 
they had rather it should be obedience of all Chrisfs 
laws^ at least in resolution ; or a consent that Christ 
should be their Lord, accepting of his terms of salva- 
tion, and a resignation of themselves to his government 
in all things. It is a sign that the scripture form of 
teaching is grown into disesteem v/ith our great mas- 
ters of reason, vvhen trusting in ihe Lord, so much 
commended in the scripture, is accounted a mean and 
ordinary thing. They endeavour to affright us from 
owning faith to be an instrument of justification, by 
telling us that thereby v/c tUat use the instrument, are 
made our own principal justificrs^ to the dishonour of 



OF SANCTIFICATIO?f. 7Z 

God ^ though it might be easily answered, that we are 
made thereby only the principal receivers of our own 
justification from God^ the giver of it^ to whom all the 
glory doth belong. 

All these errors will fall, if it can be proved that such 
a faith as I have described, is an instrument whereby 
we actually receive Christ himself into our hearts, and 
holiness of heart and life, as well as justification, by 
union and fellowship with him. For the proof of it, I 
shall offer the following arguments. 

1. By faith we have the actual enjoyment and pos- 
session of Christ himself) and not only of remission of 
sins, but of life, and so of holiness. " Christ dwelleth 
Yn our hearts by faith," Eph. iii. 17. " We live to 
God, and yet not we, but Christ liveth in vis by the 
faith of the Son of God," Gal. ii. 19, 20. ^' He that 
believeth on the Son of God, hath the Son, and ever- 
lasting life that is in him," 1 John v. 12, 13. John ii- 
36. ^^ He that heareth Christ's word, and believeth 
on him that sent Christ, hath everlasting life, and is 
passed from death unto life," John v. 24. These 
texts e^cpress clearly such a faith as I have described. 
Therefore the efficiency or operation of faith, in order 
to the enjoyment of Christ and his fulness, cannot be 
the procurement of a bare right or title to this enjoy- 
ment ; but rather it must be an entrance into it, and 
taking possession of it. ^^ We have our access and en- 
trance by faith into that grace of Christ wherein we 
stand," Rom. V. 2. 

2. The scripture plainly ascribeth this effect to faith, 
that by it we receive Christ, put him on, are rooted and 
grounded in him : and also that we receive the Spirit^ 
remission of sins, and an inheritance among them which 
are sanctified, John i. 12. Gal. iii. 26, 27. Col. ii. 6, 
7. Gal. iii. 14. Acts xxvi. 18. And the scripture 
illustrateth this receiving by the similitude of eating 
and drinking ; *^ he that believeth on Christ, drinketh 
the living water of his Spirit," John vii, 37, 38, 39* 
** Christ is the bread of life ; his flesh is meat indeed* 

G 



r4 THE GOSPEL :mystery 

and his blood is drink indeed.'' And the way to eat 
and drink it, is to believe in Christ ; and by so doing, 
we dwell in Christ, and Christ in us, and have ever- 
lasting life, John vi. 35^ 47, 48, 54, 55^ 56. How can 
it be taught more clearly, that we receive Christ him- 
self properly into our souls by faith, as we do receive 
food into our bodies by eating and drinking, and that 
Christ is as truly united to us thereby, as our food when 
we eat or drink it ? So that faith cannot be a condi- 
tion to procure a mere right or title to Christ, no more 
than eating or drinking procureth a mere right or title 
to our food ; but it is rather an instrument to receive it, 
as the mouth that eateth and drinketh the food. 

3. Cfirist with all his salv^ation, is freely given by the 
grace of God to all that believe on hiifi : for " we are 
saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves : 
it is the gift of God." Eph. ii. 8, 9. '^ We are justi- 
fied freely by his grace, through faith in his blood," 
Rom. iii. 24, 25. _The Holy Ghost, who is the bond of 
union between Christ and us, as a gift. Acts ii- 38. 
Now, that which is a gift of grace, must not at all be 
earned, purchased, or procured by any work, or works 
performed as a condition to get a right or title to it : 
and therefore, faith itself mustnOc be accounted such a 
conditional work. ^^ If it be by grace, it is no more of 
works ; otherwise grace is no more grace," Rom. xi. 6* 
The condition of a free gift is only take and have. ,\nd 
in this sense v/e will readily acknowledge faith to be a 
condition, allowing a liberty in terms where we agree 
in the thing; but if you give a pepper corn to purchase 
a title to it, then you spoil the freeness of the gift. The 
free offer of Christ to you, is sufficient to confei- upon 
you a right, yea, to make it your duty to receive Christ 
and his salvation as yours. And because we receive 
Christ by faith as a free gift, therefore we may acccvmt 
faith to be the instrument, and, as it were, the hand 
whereby we receive him. 

4. It hath been already proved, that all spiritual life 
and holiness a.re treasured up in the fulness of Christ, 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 75 

and communicated to us by union with him. There- 
fore, the accomplishing of union with Christ, is the 
first work of saving grace in our hearts. And faith it- 
self being a holy grace, and part of spiritual life, cannot 
be in us before the beginning of it; but rather it is given 
to us, and w^rought in the very working of the union. 
And the way wherein it conduceth to the union, can- 
not be by procuring a mere title to Christ as a condi- 
tion, because then it should be performed before the 
uniting work beginneth ; but rather by being an instru- 
ment whereby we may actually receive and embrace 
Christ, who is already come into the soul to take pos- 
session of it as his own habitation. 

5. True saving faith, such as I have described, hath 
in its nature and manner of operation of a peculiar ap- 
titude or fitness to receive Christ and his salvation, and 
to unite our souls into him : and to furnish the soul 
with a new holy nature, and to bring forth a holy prac- 
tice, by union and fellowship w^ith him. God hath fit- 
ted natural instruments for their office, as the hands, 
feet, &c. so that we may know by their nature and na- 
tural manner of operation, for what use they are de- 
signed. In like manner we may know that faith is 
an instrument formed on purpose for our union with 
Christ, and sanctification, if we consider what a pecu- 
liar fitness it hath for the w^ork. The discovery of this 
is of great use for the understanding of the mysterious 
manner of our receiving and pra,ctising all holiness, by 
union and fellowship with Christ, by this precious grace 
of faith. And to make you, as it were, to see with 
your eyes, that it is such an instrument as I have assert- 
ed it to be, I shall present it to your view in three par- 
ticulars. 

1. The grace of faith is as well fitted for the soul's 
receiving Christ and union with him, as any instrument 
of the body is for receiving and closing with things 
needful for it. By the very act of hearty trastii5g or 
believing on Christ for salvation and happiness, the soul 
casteth and putteth away from itself, every thing thai 



76 THE GOSPEL MYSTERT 

keepeth it at a distatice from Christ ; as all confidence 
m our strength,, endeavours, works, privileges, or in 
any worldly pleasures, profits, honours, or in any human 
helps and succours for our happiness and salvation : 
because such confidences are inconsistent with our con- 
fidence in Christ for all salvation. Paul, by his confi- 
dence in Christy was^ taken off from all confidence in 
tho: ftesh: he suffered the loss of glorying in his privi- 
leges and legal righteousness, and counted all other en- 
joyments in matters of the world, or of religi^n^ to be 
but '^ dung, that he might win Christy and be found irt 
him," Phil. iii. 5 — 9. Tne voice of faith is, '' Asher 
shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither 
will we say any more to the work of our hands, ye are 
our gods ; for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy," 
Hosea xiv. 3. We have no might against this great 
company" of our spiritual enemies; "neither know 
we what to do : but our eyes are upon thee," 2 Chron* 
XX. 12. 

. I might multiply places of scripture, to shew what a 
self-emptying grace faith is, and how it casteth other 
confidences out of the soul, by getting above them to 
Christ, as th^ only happiness and salvation. The same 
act of trusting or believing on Christ, or on God, is 
the very manner of our souls coming to Christ, John 
vi. 35 ; " drawing near to the Lord," Psal. Ixxiii. 28 ; 
*^ fleeing unto the Lord to hide us," Psal. cxliii. 9 ; 
*^ making our refuge in the shadow of his wings," Psal. 
Ivii. 1 ; " staying ourselves and our minds upon the 
Lord," Isa. 1. 10. and xxv. 3 ; " laying hold on eter- 
nal life," 1 Tim. vi. 12 ; " lifting up our souls to the 
Lord," Psal- xxv. 1 ; " rolling our Way, or casting our 
burden upon the Lord," Psal. xxxvii. 5. and Iv. 22 ; 
apd of our eating and drinking Christ, as hath already 
appeared. Let us consider, that Christ and his salva- 
tion cannot be seen, or handled, or attained to, by any 
bodily motion ; but are revealed and promised to us in 
the word.. Now let any invent, if they can, any way 
for the SQul tO: exercise any motion or activeness in re^ 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 77 

ceiving of this unseen promised salvation, besides be- 
lieving the word, and trusting on Christ for the bene- 
fit promised. If Christ were to be earned by works, 
or any other kind of conditional faith : yet a faith must 
be instrumental to receive him. Some think love as 
fit to be the uniting grace ; but I have shewed that love 
to Christ's salvation is an ingredient unto faith ; and 
though love be an appetite unto union, yet we have no 
other likely way to fill this appetite, while we are in this 
world, besides trusting on Christ for all his benefits, as 
he is promised in the gospeh 

2. There is in this saving faith, a natural tendency 
to furnish the soul with a holy frame and nature, and 
all endowments necessary thereunto, out of the fulness 
of Christ. A hearty affectionate trusting on Christ 
for all his salvation, as freely promised to us, hath na- 
turally enough in it to work in our souls a rational bent 
and inclination to, and ability for, the practice of all ho- 
liness ; because it comprehendeth in it a trusting, that 
*^ through Christ, we are dead to sin, and alive to 
God ;" that " our old man is crucified," Rom. iv. 
2, 3, 4; and that " we live by the Spirit," Gal. v. 25 ; 
and that " w^e have forgiveness of sin," and that " God 
is our God," Psal. xxxi. 14 ; and that " we have in the 
Lord righteousness and strength, whereby we are able 
to do all things," Isa. xlv. 24. Phil. iv. 13 ; and that 
" we shall be gloriously happy in the enjoyment of 
Christ to all eternity," Phil. iii. 20, 21. When the 
saints in scripture speak so highly of such glorious spi- 
ritual privileges, as I have here named, they acquaint 
us with the familiar sense and language of their faith, 
trusting on God and Christ, and they give us but an 
explication of the nature and contents of it ; and they 
speak of nothing more than what they receive out of 
the fulness of Christ. And how can we otherwise 
judge, but that those that have a hearty love to Christy 
and can upon a good ground, think and speak such high 
things concerning themselves, must needs be heartily 

G 2 



U THE GOSPEL MYSTERV 

-disposed, and mightily strengthened for the practice of 
holiness ? 

3* Because faith hath such a natural tendency to 
dispose and strengthen the soul for the practice of holi- 
ness, we have cause to judge it a meet instrument to 
accomplish every part ot that practice in an acceptable 
manner^^ Those that with a due affection believe sted* 
fastly on Christ for the free gift of all his salvation, may 
find, by experience, that they are carried forth by that 
faith, according to the measure of its strength or weak- 
^ess,i^ to love God heartily, because God hath loved 
them first, 1 John iv. 19; to praise him, to pray unto 
him,^ in the name of Christ, Eph. v. 20. John xvi. 26^ 
27 h to be patient with cheerfulness under all afflictions,. 
giving thanks to the Father, that hath called them to 
his heavenly inheritance, CoL i. 11, 12 ; to love all the 
children of God out of love to their heavenly Father^ 
1 John V. 1 ; to Avalk as Christ walked, 1 John ii. 6 ;, 
and to give themselves up to live to Christ in all things^ 
as constrained by his love in dying for them,= 2 Cor. vv 
144 We have a cloud of witnesses concerning the ex- 
cellent works that were produced by faith, lleb. xi.. 
And though trusting on Christ be accounted such a 
slight^ and contemptible thing, yet I know no work of 
obedience, which it is not able to produce. And note 
the excellent manner of working by faith. By it wc: 
Eire and: act in all good works, as people in Christ, aar 
raised^ above, ourselves,, and in our natur«.l state, by par- 
taking of him and his salvation ;: and we do all in hiss. 
name, and on his account. This is the practice of that: 
mysterious manner of living to God in holiness, which 
IB peculiar to the cJiristian religion wherein we live ;. 
^* and yet not we, but Christ livcth in. us," Gal. ii. 20.. 
And who can imagine any other way but this for such: 
a pr?i€tice, while Christ andhis salvation are known to 
us only by the gospel ? 

The explanation that T Have made of the nature and. 
office of truefaith^ and of itsr aptitude for its office, is. 
sufficient to evidence, that it h^.most holt/ faithy as it is 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. 79 

called, Jude ver. 20 ; and that such a trusting on Christy 
as I have described, in its own nature, cannot have any 
tendency to licentiousne.ss,^ but only to holiness : and 
that it rooteth and groundeth us in holiness, more than 
the mere accepting of any terms of salvation, and con- 
senting to have Christ for our Lord can do ; and Is 
more powerful to secure a holy practice, thaji any of 
those resolutions of obedience, or resignation acts, that 
some would have to be the great conditions of our sal-* 
vation ; which are indeed no better than hypocritical 
acts. If they be not produced by this faith. There is 
indeed a counterfeit dead faith, such as wicked men 
have : and if that tend to licentiousness, let not true 
faith be blamed ; but rather mark the description of it 
which I have given, that you may not be deceived with 
a counterfeit faith instead of it. 

I shall add something concerning the efficient cause of 
this excellent grace, and of our W72ic/z with Christ by It; 
whereby it may appear, that it is not so slight and easy 
a way of salvation, as some may imagine. The author 
and fmlsher of our faith ^ and of our union and fellow- 
ship with Christ by faith, is no less than the infinite Spi- 
rit of God ^ and God and Christ himsef by the same Spi^ 
tit ; for '^ by one Spirit we are all baptized into one 
body of Christ, and are all made to drink into one Spi- 
rit, 1 Cor. xil. 13. *''* God grant us, according to the 
riches of* his glory, to be strengthened with all might, 
by the Spirit, in the inner man, that Christ may dwell 
in our hearts by faith,^^ Eph. ill. 16, 17. If we do but 
consider the gre?^t effect of faith, that by It we are raised 
to live above our natural condition, by Christ and his 
Spirit living in us, we cannot rationally conceive, that 
it sliould be within the power of nature to do any thing 
that advanceth us so high. 

If (rod had done no more for us In our sanctlfica- 
tlon, than to restore us to our first natural holiness ; yet 
this could not have been done, without putting forth 
bis own almighty power to quicken those that are dead. 
in, sin.; how much more is this almighty power needful 



80 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

to advance us to this wonderful new kind of frame, 
wherein we live and act, above all the power of nature, 
by a higher principle of life than was given to Adam 
in innocency, even by Christ and his Spirit living and 
acting in us ? The natural man bringeth forth his off- 
spring, according to his image, by that natural power 
of multiplying, with which God blessed him at his first 
creation ; but the second Adam bringeth forth his off- 
spring new-born according to his image, only by the 
Spirit, John iii. 5. " As many as received him, even 
those that believe on his name, are bom not of blood, 
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but 
of God," John i. 12, 13. Christ took his own human 
nature into personal union with himself, in the womb 
of the Virgin Mary, by the Holy Ghost coming upon 
her, and the power of the Highest overshadowing her^ 
the same power whereby the world was created, Luke 
i. 35. So he that taketh us into mystical union ^ndfeU 
lows/lip with himself, by no less than an irifinite creating 
power ; for " we are the workmanship of God, created 
in Christ Jesus unto good works," Eph. ii. 10; and, 
" if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature," 2 
Cor. V. ir. 

For the accomplishing this great work of our new 
crcc^tion in Christ, the Spirit of God doth first work 
upon our hearts, by and with the gospel, to produce in 
us the grace of faith. For if the gospel should come to 
us in word oiily^ and not in power ^ and in the Holy 
Ghost J Paul might labour to plant, and Apollos to water, 
without any success, because we cannot receive the 
things of the Spirit of God : yea, we shall account them 
foolishness, until the Spirit of God enable us to dis- 
cern them, 1 Thess. i. 5. 1 Cor. iii. 6. and ii. 14. We 
shall never come to Christ, by any teaching of man, 
except we also hear and learn of the Father, and be 
drawn to Christ by his Spirit, John vi. 44, 45. And 
when saving faith is wrought in us, the same Spirit 
giveth us fast hold of Christ by it. As he openeth the 
mouth of faith to receive Christ, so he fiUeth it with 



OF SAKCTIFICATION- 6i 

hnrr ; at else the acting of faith t\ o\ild be lite a di-eaiit 
of one that thinketh he eateth and drinketh, and whert 
he awaketh, he findeth himself empty* The same Spi-^ 
rit of God did both give that faith whereby miracles 
were wrought, and did work also the miracles by it ^ 
so also the same Spirit of Christ doth work saving faitfo 
in us, and doth answer the aim and end of that faith^ 
by giving us union and fellowship with Christ by it > 
so that noAe of the glory of this work belongeth tOf 
faith^ but only to Christ and his Spirit. And, indeed, 
faith is of such a humbling self-denying nature, that it 
ascribeth nothing that it receiveth to itself, but all 
to the grace of God ; and therefore God saveth us by 
fatth^ that all the glory may be ascribed to his free 
grace J Rom. iv. 16. If Adam had strength enough in 
innocency, to perform the duty of faith as well as we, 
yet it will not follow that he had strength enough to 
raise himself above his natureJ state, into union with 
Christ ; because faith doth not unite us to Christ by its 
own virtue, but by the power of the Spirit working by 
it, and with it. Thus v/e are first passive, and then 
active in this great work of mystical union ; w^e are first 
apprehended of Christ. Christ entereth first into the 
80ul, to join himself unto it, by giving it the spirit of 
faith ; and so the soul receiveth Christ and his Spirit 
by their own power, as the sun first enlighteneth our 
eyes, and then we can see by its light* 

We may note farther, to the glory of the grace of 
God, that this union is fully accomplished by Christ, 
giving the spirit of faith to us, even before we act that 
faith, in the reception of him ; because by this grace or 
jipirit of faith, the soul is inclined and disposed to an 
active receiving of Christ. And no doubt Christ is 
thus united to many infants who have the spirit of faith, 
and yet cannot act faith, because they are not come to 
the use of their understandings ; but those of riper 
years, that are joined passively to Christ, by the spirit 
of faith, will also join themselves with him actively, by 
tb^ act of faith ; and until they act this faith, they ca^- 



82 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

not know or enjoy their union with Christ, and the com- 
fort of It, or make us<j of it in acting any other duties of 
holiness acceptably in this life. 



DIRECTION V. 

We cannot attain to the pr:w:tice of true holiness, by any of our en- 
deavours, wliile we continue in our natural state, and are not 
partakers of a new state, by union and fellowship With Christ 
thi'oug-h faith. 

EXPLICATION. 

It is evident, all have not th^t precious faith^ where- 
by Chi*ist dwelleth in our hearts ; yea, the number of 
those that have it is small, com.paratively to " the whole 
world that lieth in wickedness," 1 John v. 19, 20; and 
many of those, that at length attain to it, do continue 
without it, for some considerable time, Eph, ii. 12. — . 
And though some may have the spirit of faith given to 
them from their mother's womb (as John the baptist, 
Luke i. 15, 44*) yet even in them there is a natural 
being by generation, before there can be a spiritual be- 
ing by regeneration, 1 Cor. xv. 46. Hence ariseth the 
consideration of two estates or conditions of the chil- 
dren of men, in matters that appertain to God, and 
godliness ; the one of which is vastly different^ from 
the other. 

Those that have the happiness of a new birth and 
creation in Christ by faith, are thereby placed in a very 
excellent state, consisting in the enjoyment of the 
righteousness of Christ for their justification ; and the 
Spirit of Christ to live by, in holiness here, and glory 
for ever, as Kath already appeared. Those that are 
not in Christ by faith, cannot be in a better state than 
that which they received, together with their nature, 
from the first Adam, by being once bom and created 
in him ; or than they can attain to by the power of that 
liature, with any £ach help as God is pleased to aflford 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 83 

to it. Tills latter I call a natural state^ because it con- 
sisteth^in such things as we have either received by 
natural generation, or can attain to by natural power, 
through ci,ivine assistance ; as the scripture callethman 
in tills state, the natural man, 1 Cor. ii. 14. The for- 
mer 1 call the nezu state^ because we enter into it by a 
new birth in Christ: and 1 may call it ii spiritual state^ 
according to the scripture ; because it receiveih from 
Christ the quickening Spirit, and t\\t naturahdXid spir- 
itual man are opposed, 1 Cor, ii. 14, 15 ; though some 
call both these states spiritual, because the everlasting 
well or woe* of the soul, or spirit, of man, is chiefly 
concerned in them. 

It is a common error of those that are in a corrupt 
natural state, that they seek to reform their lives ac- 
cording to law, vvithout any thoughts that their state 
must be changed, before their lives can be changed 
from sin to righteousness. The heathens, that knew 
nothing of a new state in Christ, were urged by their 
own consciences, to practise several duties of the law, 
according to the knowledge they had by the light of 
niture, Horn. ii. 14, 15. Israel, according to the flesh, 
had a zeal of God and godliness, and endeavoured to 
practise the written law, at least in external perform- 
ances, while they were enemies to the faith of Christ. 
And Paul attained so far, that he was blameless in these 
external performances of the righteousness of the law, 
while he persecuted the church of Christ, Phil. iii. 6. 

Seme are so near the kingdom of God, while they 
continue in a natural state, that they are convinced of 
the spirituality of the law, that it bindeth us principally 
to love Gcd with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, 
and to love our neighbour as ourselves ; and to perform 
universal obedience to God, in all our inward thoughts 
and affections, as well as in all our outward actions, 
and to do all the Incumbent duties we owe to our neigh- 
bour, out of this hearty love, Mark xii. 33, 34. And 
they struggle and labour with great earnestness to sub- 
due their inward thoughts and affections to the law of 



84 THE GOSPEL IVreSTERY 

God, and to abstain, not only from some sins, but from 
all known sins, and to perform every known duty of 
the lavir with their whole heart and soul, as they think ; 
and are active and intent in their devout practice, that 
they over* work their natur«il strength, and so fervent in 
their zeal, that they are ready even to kill their bodies 
with very severe fastings, and with other cruel mace- 
rations, that they may kill their sinful lusts, ITiey are 
strongly convinced that holiness is absolutely necessary 
to salvation, and are deeply affected with the terrors of 
damnation ; and yet they were never so much enlight- 
ened in the mystery of the gospel, as to know that a 
new state in Christ is necessary to a new life ; there- 
fore they labour in vain to reform their natural state, 
instead of getting above it in Christ. And some of 
these, when they have mis-spent many years in striving 
against the stream of their lusts, without any success^ 
do at last fall miserably into despair of ever attaining 
to holiness, and turn to wallow in the mire of their 
lusts, or are fearfully swallowed up with horror of con- 
science* 

There are several false opinions whereby such igno- 
rant zealots encourage themselves in their fruitless en* 
deavours. Some of them judge that they are able ta 
f)ractise holiness, because they are not ccimpelled to sin^ 
and may abstain from it if they will. To this they 
^dd, that Christ, by the merit of his death, hath restore 
ed that freedom of will to good, which was lost by the 
fall, and hath set nature upon its legs again ; and that, 
if they endeavour to do what lieth in them, Christ will 
do the rest, by assisting them with the supplies of his 
saving grace ; so they trust upon the grace of Christ to 
help them in their endeavours. They plead farther^ 
that it would not consist with the justice of God to pun- 
ish them for sin, if they could avoid it ; and that it 
would be in vain for ministers of the gospel to preach 
to them, and exhort them to any saving dut}\ if they 
cannot perform it. They produce examples of heathens, 
and of such as had the name of christians, without any 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 86 

acquaintance with the faith that I have described, who 
have attained to a great excellency in religious words 
and works. 

My work at present is, to deliver those ignorant zea- 
lots from their fruitless tormenting labours, by bring- 
ing them to despair of the attainment of holiness, in a 
natural state, that they may seek it only in a new state 
by faith in Christ, where they may certainly find it, 
without such tormenting labour and anxiety of spirit. 
For this end, I shall confirm the truth asserted in the 
Direction, and fortify it against the fore-mentioned 
false opinions, by the ensuing considerations. 

1. The foundation of this assertion is firmly laid in 
the directions already explained, and confirmed by 
many places of scripture. For if all endowments ne- 
cessary to enable us. for a holy practice, be to be had 
only in a state of union and fellowship with Christ by- 
faith, and faith itself, not by the natural power of free- 
will, but by the poVer of Christ coming into the soul 
by his Spirit, to unite us with himself; who seeth not, 
that the attainment of true holiness, by any of our most 
vigorous endeavours, while we continue in our natural 
state, is altogether hopeless f I need add no more, 
were it not to shew more fully what abundance of light 
the scripture affordeth to guide us aright in this part of 
our way, that those who wander out of it, by following 
any false light of their own or other corrupted judg- 
ments, may find themselves the more inexcuseable. 

2. It is evident that we cannot practise true holiness, 
while we continue in a natural state ; because we must 
be " bom of water and of the Spirit," or else we " can- 
not enter into the kingdom of God," John iii. 3, 5 ; 
and we are " created in Christ Jesus unto good works, 
which God hath before ordained that we should walk 
in them," Eph. ii. 10. If we could love God and our 
neighbour, as the law requireth, without a new birth 
and creation, we might live without them ; for Christ 
hath said, " this do, and thou shalt live," Luke x. 28. 
Now, a new birth and creation is more than a mere 

H 



56 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

reforming and repairing our natural state. If we were 
put into a certain state and condition by the first birth 
and creation, much more by the second. For the first 
produceth the substance of a man as well as a state ; 
the second had nothing to produce, but a new state of 
the same person. And note, that we were first created 
and born in Adam the natural man, but our new birih 
and creation are in Christ the spiritual man. And if 
any man be in Christy he is in a 7iezv state^ far difFereiit 
from the state of Adam before tlie fall; he is wholly a 
nexv creature : as it is written, ^' old things are past 
away ; behold all things are become new," 2 Cor. v. IT. 
3. It is positively asserted by the apostle Paul, that 
those " that are in the flesh cannot please God," Rom. 
viii. 8. Many are too overly and negligent in consi- 
dering the sense of this gospel phrase, what it is to be 
in thejlesk. They understand no more by it than to 
be sinful, or to be addicted inordinately to please the 
sensitive appetite. They should consider, that the 
apostle speaketh here of being in thejtesh^ as the cause 
of sinfulness ; as the next verse speaketh of being in 
the Spirit^ as the cause of holiness ; and whatever cause 
it be, it must needs be different from its effect. Sin is 
a property of the fiesh^ or something that dwelleth ia 
Xh^Jlesh^ Rom. vii. 18 ; and therefore it is not the flesh 
itself. The Jiesh is that which '^ lusteth against the 
Spirit" Gal. v. 17; and therefore it is not merely sin- 
ful lusting. The true interpretation is, that hyj/esh is 
meant the nature of man^ as it is corrupted by the fall 
of Adam, and propagated from him to us, in that cor* 
rupt state, by natural generation ; and to be in the 
fleshy is to be in a natural state ; as to be in the Spirit^ 
is to be in a nevo state^ by the '' Spirit of Christ dwell- 
^ing in ua," Rom. viii. 9. The corrupt nature is called 
fiesh^ because it is received by carnal generation ; and 
the new nature is called spirit^ because it is received 
by spiritual regeneration. " That which is born of the 
flesh, is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit, is 
spirit," John iii. 6. So the apostle, if it be rightly un- 



OF SANCTIFICA TION. 87 

derstood, hath said enough to make us despair utterly 
of attaining to true holiness, while we continue in a 
natural state. 

4. The aposde testifieth, that those that have been 
taught as the truth is in Jesus^ have learned to avoid 
the formal sinful conversation, by " putting off the old 
man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts ;'^ 
and by " putting on the new man, which, after God, is 
created in righteousness and true holiness,'' Eph. iv. 
21, 22, 24, Putting off the oldnian^ and putting on the 
nexv man^ is the same with not being in xYv^Jlesh^ but in 
the Spirit^ in the foregoing testimony | that is, putting 
off our natural state, and putting on a new state, by 
union and fellowship with Christ. The apostle him- 
self sheweth, that by the 7iew man is meant, that excel- 
lent state where " Christ is all, and in all," Col. iii. 11, 
Therefore, by the old man^ must needs be meant, the 
natural state of man, wherein he is without the saving 
enjoyment of Christ ; which is called old^ because of 
the nexv state to which believers are brought by their 
regeneration in Christ. , This is a manner of expression 
peculiar to the gospel, as well as the former, and as 
slightly considered by those that think that the apos- 
tle's meaning is only, that they should put off sinful- 
ness, and put on holiness in their conversation; and so 
they think to become new men, by turning over a new 
leaf in their practice^ and leading a new life. 

Let them learn here, that the eld and nc7v man arc 
two contrary states, containing in them, not cnly sin 
and holiness, but all other things that dispose and in- 
cline us to the practice of them; and that the old man 
must be put off, as crucrfied v/ith Christ, before we 
can be freed from the practice of sin, Horn. vi. 6, 7. 
And there we cannot lead a nev/ life, until we have first 
gotten a new state by faith in Christ. Let me add. 
here, that the meaning of the apostle is the same, Horn, 
xiii. 12, 13, 14. where he directeth us to put on the 
Lord Jesus Christy as the means whereby we may cast 



88 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

ofF the deeds of darkness, and walk honestly, as in th^ 
day time, not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. 

5. Our natural state hath several properties that 
wholly disable us for the practice of holiness, and en- 
slave us to the practice of sin^ while we continue in it. 
Here I shall shew, that the old man, the Jiesh^ or natu- 
ral state^ is not only sin, as some would have it, but it 
containeth in it several things which I shall name, that 
maketh it to be sinful, besides several other things that 
maketh it miserable. I have shewed, that in Christ 
we have all endowments necessary to frame us for god- 
liness ; so, in our fleshly state, we have all things con- 
trary to that holy frame. One thing belongeth to our 
natural state is, the guilt of sin^ even of Adam's first 
sin, and of the sinful depravation of our nature, and of 
all our own actual transgressions ; and therefore we 
are by nature " the children of wrath," Eph. ii. 3. and 
under the curse of God. The benefit of remission of 
our sins, and freedom from condemnation^ is not given 
to us in the fleshy or in a natural state ^ but only in 
Christy Rom. viii. 1. Eph. i. 7. And can we imagine, 
that a man should be able to prevail against sin, while 
God is against him, and curseth him ? Another pro- 
perty, inseparable from the former is, an evil consciences^ 
which denounceth the wrath of God against us for sin, 
and inclineth us to abhor him as our enemy, rather than 
to love him, as he hath been shewed ; or if it be a blind 
conscience, it hardeneth us the more in our sins. A 
third property, is an evil incliiiation^ tending only to 
sin ; which therefore is called " sin that dwelleth in us," 
and the ^' law of sin in our members," that powerfully 
subdueth and " captivateth us to the service of sin," 
Rom. vii. 20, 23. It is a fixed propensity to lust against 
the law without any deliberation ; and therefore its 
lustings are not to be prevented by any diligence or 
'watchfulness. " The mind of the flesh is enmity against 
God ; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither in- 
deed can be," Rom. viii. 7. How vain then is it to 
plead, that they can do good if they will, when their 



OF SANCTIFICATION- 89 

minds and will itself is enslaved to sin? A fourth pro- 
perty is, " subjection to the power of the Devil, who» 
is the god of this world, that hath blinded the minds of 
all that believe not,'' 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; and will certainly 
conquer all whom he fighteth with on his own dung- 
hill ; that is, in a natural state. And from all these 
properties, we may well conclude, that our natural state 
hath the property never to be good, to be stark dead in 
sin, Eph,^ ii. 1. according to the sentence denounced 
against the first sin of mankind in Adam, '' In the day 
that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die," Gen^ 
ii. 17. For^ you can no more bring it to holiness, by 
any the most vehement motives and endeavours, than 
you can bring a dead carcase to life, by chaffing and 
rubbing it. You can stir up no strength, or fortifying 
grace, in the natural man Ijy such motives and endea- 
vours ; because there is no strength in him to be stirred 
up, Rom. V. 6. Though you do all that lieth in you to- 
the utmost, while you are in this fle&h,. you can do no- 
thing but sin ; for there i%no goad thing in you^ as the 
apostle Paul sheweth by his own experience. " I know^ 
that in me, (that is, in my flesh) dwellcth no good 
thing," Rom. vii. 18. 

6. We have no good ground to trust on Christ to 
help us to will or to do that which is acceptable to him^ 
while we continue in our natural state ; or to imagine 
that freedom of will to holiness is restored to us by the 
merit of his death. For, as it hath been already she w-^ 
ed, Christ aimed at a higher end, in his incarnation^ 
death and resurrection,, than the restoring the decay 
and ruins of our natural state. He aimed to advance 
us to a new state, more excellent than the state of na- 
^re ever w^s, by union and fellowship with himself; 
that we might live to God, not by the power of a natu- 
ral free-will, but by the power of his Spirit living and, 
acting in us. So we may conclude^ that our natural 
state is irrecoverable and desperate, because Christy 
the only Saviour, did not aim at the recovery of it.— -^ 
It is neither holynor happy, but subject t© sin, and to^ 



dor THE GOSPEL MTSTERY 

all miseries, as long as it remaineth. Even those thaf 
are in a new state in Christ, and do serve the law of 
God with their mind, do yet with their ^* flesh serve 
the law of sin," Rom. vii. 25. As far as it remaineth 
in them, it ^Musteth against the Spirit," GaL vi. 17; 
and " it remaineth dead, because of sin," even when 
" the Spirit of life to them, because of righteousness," 
Rom«. viii. 10; and must be wholly abolished by death, 
before we can be perfected in that holiness and hap- 
piness that is by faith in Christ. After God had pro- 
mised salvation by Christ, the seed of the woman, he 
placed cherubims and a flaming sword to keep man 
out of Paradise : thereby teaching him, that his first 
state was lost without hope, and that the happiness in- 
tended for him w^as wholly new. Our old natural man 
was not revived and reformed by the death of Christy 
but crucified together with him, and therefore to be 
abolished and destroyed out of us by virtue of his death^ 
Rom. vi. 6. It is like the part of a garment infected 
with the plague of leprosy, which w^as to be rent off as 
incurable, that the garment might be clean, Lev. xiii.. 
56. "• If Christ be not in us, we are reprobates," 2 
Cor. xiii. 5 ; i. e. we are in a state which God hath re- 
jected from partaking of his salvation ; so that we are 
not to expect any assistance from God, to make us 
holy in it, but rather to deliver us from it. 

7. This doth not at all discharge those that are in a 
natural state from obligation to holiness of life, nor 
render them inexcusable for their sins at the tribunal 
of God's justice. For, ^^ God hath made man upright^ 
but they sought out many inventions," Ecc. vii, 29.. 
Observe well the words of this text, and you will find,, 
that all they who have sought out many inventions,, 
rather than upright walkings are comprehended in man 
that was at first made upright. And man^ in the text,, 
signifieth all mankind.. The first Adam was all man- 
kind, as Jacob and Esau were two nations in the womb 
of Rebecca, Gen. xxv. 23.^ God made us all in our 
frst parent, according to his own image, able and in- 



OF SANCTIFICATIOIS. 91 

tlined to do his law ; and in that pure nature, our ob- 
ligation to obedience was first laid upon us, and the 
first wilful transgression, whereby our first parent he- 
reaved himself of the image of God, and brought 
upon himself the sentence of death, was our sin as 
well as his ; for, ^' In one man, Adam, all have sinned, 
and so death is passed upon all," Rom. v. 12 ; because, 
all mankind were in Adam's loins, when the first sin 
was committed ; even as Levi may be said to have paid 
tithes in Abraham before he w^ born ; because, when 
his father Abraham paid tithes toMelchizedek, he was 
yet in his loins, Heb. vii, 9. 10. That the promise of 
God, that he will not charge the iniquities of parents 
upon their children, is a promise belonging to the new 
covenant confirmed in the hlood of Christ ; and it is 
yea and amen to us only in Christ, in whom we have 
another nature than that which our parents conveyed 
to us ; so that we cannot justly claim the benefit of it 
in our old natural state, Jer. xxxi. 29, 30, 31. and 2 
Cor. i. 20. Those that account their impotency a suf- 
ficient plea to excuse them or others, shew that they 
were never truly humbled for that great wilful trans- 
gression of all mankind in the loins of Adam* Ina- 
bility to pay debt, excuseth not a debtor that hath 
lavished away his estate ; neither doth drunkenness 
excuse the mad actings of a drunkard, but rather ag- 
gravates his sin. And our impotency consisteth not in 
a mere want of executive power, but in the want of a 
willing mind, to practise true holiness and righteous- 
ness. Katuraliy we love it not, we like it not, but 
lusteth against it, Gal. v. 17; and ^^ hate the light,'* 
John iii. 20. If men in a natural state had a hearty 
love, and liking to true holiness, and a desire and se- 
rious, endeavour to practise it, out of a hearty love, 
and yet failed in the event, then they might, under 
some pretence, plead for their excuse (as some do for 
them) that they were compelled to sin by an inevitable 
fate. But none have just cause to plead any such thing 
for their excuse ; because none endeavour to practis€r 



92 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

true holiness ovit of a hearty love to it, until the good 
tvork be begun in their souls ; and, when God hath 
begun he will perfect it, Phil. \. 6 ; and while, in the 
mean time, accept their ready mind, though they fall 
short in performance, 2 Cor. viii. 12. " How abom- 
inable, then, and filthy is man, that drinketh iniquity 
as water ?" Job xv. 16; that cannot practise holiness, 
because he will not? this is their just condemnation, 
*' that they love darkness rather than light. They de- 
serve to be partakers with the devils in torments, as they 
partake with them in evil lusts ; and their inability ta 
do good, will no more excuse them, than it excuseth 
the devils. 

8. Neither will this assertion make it a vain thing^ 
to preach the gospel to natural people, and to exhort 
them to true repentance and faith in Christ, for their 
conversion and salvation. For the design of our preach- 
ing is not to bring them to holiness in their natural 
state, but to raise them above it, and to present them 
perfect in Christy in the performance of those duties^ 
Col. i. 28. And though they cannot perform those du- 
ties by their natural strength ; yet the gospel is made 
effectual for their conversion and salvation, by the 
power of the Holy Ghost, which accompanieth the 
preaching of it, to quicken those that are dead in sin, 
and to create them anew in Christ, by giving to them 
repentance unto life, and a lively faith in Christ. The 
gOi>pel cometh to the elect of God, not " in word, but 
also in power, and in the Holy Ghost," and in such as- 
surance, that they receive " it with joy of the Holy 
Ghost," 2 Thess. i. 5, 6. " The gospel is the minis- 
tration of the Spirit, that giveth life, 2 Cor., iii. 6, 7, 8. 
*' It is mighty through God," 2 Cor. x. 4* It depend- 
eth not at all upon the power of our free-will, to make 
it successful for our conversion ; hut it conveyeth into 
the soul that life and power whereby we receive and 
obey it. Christ can make those that are dead in sin 
" to hear his voice and live," John v* 25. Therefore 
he can speak to them by his gospel, and command them 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 93 

to repent arid believe with good success, as well as he 
could say to the dead carcases, " Talitha cumi," Mark 
V. 41. '^ Lazarus, come forth,'' John xi. 43, 44; and 
to the sick of the palsy, " Arise, take up thy bed, and 
go into thine house," Matth. ix. 6. 

9. There is no reason that the examples of heathen 
philosophers, or any Jews or christians, by outward 

f)rofession, that have lived without the saving know- 
edge of God in Christ, should move us, by their wise 
sayings and renowned attainments, in the practice of 
devotion and morality, to recede from this truth, that 
hath been so fully confirmed out of the holy scriptures. 
Have we not cause to judge that the apostle Paul, while 
he was a zealous Pharisee, and at least some few of 
the great multitudes of the Jews in his time, that were 
zealous for the law, and had the instruction of the holy 
scriptures, attained as near to that true holiness, as the 
heathen philosophers, or any others in their natural 
state ? Yet Paul, after he was enlightened with the 
saving knowledge of Christ, judged himself the chief 
ef sinners^ in his former highest attainments ; though^ 
in the judgment of others, he was blameless touching 
the righteousness which is in the law : and he found it 
necessary to begin to live to God in a new way, by faith 
in Christ, and to suffer the loss of al/ his former attain* 
ments, and to count them but dung^ that he might toin 
Christy 1 Tim. i. 15. Phil. iii. 6, 7, 8. 

And none of the great multitude of Jews that follow- 
ed after the lazu of righteousness^ did ever attain unto 
it, while they sought it not " by faith in Christ," Rom. 
ix. 31, 32. What performances are greiiter, in out- 
ward appearance, than for a man to give all his goods 
to the poor, and to give his body to be burnt ? and yet 
the scripture allov/eth us to suppose, that this may be 
done without true charity, and therefore without any 
true holiness of the heart and life, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. Men 
in a natural state may have strong conviction of the 
infinite power, wisdom, justice, and goodness of God„ 
and of the judgment to come, and the everlasting hap- 



94 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

piness of the godly, and torments of the wicketl : and 
those convictions may stir them up, not only to make a 
high profession, and to utter rare sayings concerning 
God and godliness ; but also to labour, M^ith great ear- 
nestness, to avoid all knov^n sin, to subdue their lusts, 
to perform universal obedience to God in all known du- 
ties, and to serve him with their lives and estates to the 
utmost ; and to extort out of their hearts some kind of 
love to God and godliness, that, if possible, they may 
escape the terrible torments of hell, and procure ever- 
lasting happiness by their endeavours : yet all their 
love to God is but forced and feigned ; they have no 
hearty liking to God or his service ; they account him 
a hard master, and his commands grievous, and they 
repine and fret inwardly at the burden of them ; and 
were it not for fear of everlasting fire, they would little 
regard the enjoyment of God in heaven, and they 
would be glad if they might have the liberty to enjoy 
their lust without danger of damnation. 

The highest preferment of those that are bom only 
after the flesh, in Abraham's family, is but to " be chil* 
dren ^f the bond woman,'' Gal. iv. 23. And though 
they toil more in God's service than many of his dear 
children, yet God accepteth not their service, because 
their best performances are slavish, without any child- 
like affections towards God, and no better than glitter- 
ing sins ; and yet these natural men are not at all be- 
holden to the goodness of their natures for these coun- 
terfeit shews of holiness, or for the least abstaining 
from the grossest sins. If God should leave men fully 
to their own natural corruptions, and to the power of 
Satan, (as they deserve) all shew of religion and mo- 
rality would be quickly banished out of the world, and 
we should grow past feeling in wickedness, and like 
the cannibals^ who are as good by nature as ourselves. 
But God, that can restrain the burning of the fiery fur- 
nace, without quenching it, and the flowing of water, 
without changing its nature, doth also restrain the 
working of natural corruption, without mortifying k : 



OF SANCTIFICATIOK. 95 

and through the greatness of his wisdom and power, 
" he maketh his enemies to yield unfeigned obedience 
to him," Psal. Ixvi. 3 ; and to do many things good for 
the matter of them, though they can do nothing in a 
right holy manner. 

He hath appointed several means to restrain our cor*- 
ruptions : as the law, terrors of conscience, terrible 
judgments, and rewards in this life ; magistrates, hu- 
man laws, labour for necessaries, as food and raim.ent ; 
and those gospel means that are effectual for sanctifica- 
tion, serve also for restraint of sin. God hath gracious 
ends in this restraint of sin, that his church may be pre- 
served, and his gospel preached in the world; and 
that these natural men may be in a better capacity to 
receive the instructions of the gospel ; and that such 
of them that are chosen, may in due time be convert- 
ed ; and that those of them that are not truly convert- 
ed, may enjoy more of the goodness of God here, and 
suffer less torments hereafter. As vile and wicked as 
the w^orld is, we have cause to praise and magnify 
the free goodness of God, that it is not worse. 



DIRECTION VI. 

'i hose that endeavour to perform sincere obedience to all commands 
of Christ, as the condition whereby diey are to procure for them- 
selves a right and title to salvation, and a good ground to trust on 
him for the same, do seek their stilvation by the works of the law, 
and not by the faith of Christ, as he is revealed in the gospel : and 
they shall never be able to perform sincere and true holy obedi- 
ence by all such endeavours, 

EXPLICATION. 

For the understanding the terms of this direction^ 
note here, that I take salvation as comprehending jus- 
tification^ as well as other saving" benefits : and sincere 
obedience as comprehending holy resolutions^ as well as 
the fulfilling them. The most of men, that have any 



96 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

sense of religion, are prone to imagine, that the sutc 
way to establish the practice of holiness and righteous- 
ness, is to make it the procuring condition of the fa- 
vour of God, and all happiness. This may appear 
by the various false religions that have prevailed most 
in the world. In this way the heathens were brought 
to their best devotion and morality, by the knowledge 
of the judgment of God, that those that violate several 
of the great duties to God and their neighbour, are 
worthy of death ; and by their consciences accusing or 
excusing them, according to the practice of them, Rom. 
i. 32. and ii. 14^ 15. Our consciences are informed 
by the common light of natural reason, that it is just 
with God to require us to perform those duties, that' 
we may avoid his wrath, and enjoy his favour. And 
we cannot find any better way than this to obtain hap- 
piness, or to stir up ourselves to duty, without divine 
revelation. Yet, because our own consciences testify 
that we often fail in the performance of these duties, 
we are inclined, by self-love, to persuade ourselves 
that our sincere endeavours to do the best we can, shall 
be sufficient to procure the favour of God, and pardon 
for all oxxx failings* 

Thus we see that our persuasion of salvation, by the 
condition of sincere obedience, hath its original from 
our corrupt natural reason, and is part of the wisdom 
of this world. It is none of " the wisdom of God in a 
mystery, that hidden wisdom which God ordained be- 
fore the world to our glory :" it is none of those things 
of the Spirit of God which '^ have jiot entered into the 
heart of man," and which " the natural man cannot re- 
ceive ; for they. are foolishness to him; neither can he 
know them, for they are spiritually discerned," 1 Cor. 
ii. 6, 7, 9, 14« It is none of the foolishness of preach- 
tng^ whereby it pleased God " to save them that be- 
lieve," 1 Gor. i. 21. And though we had a better way 
revealed to us in the gospel, for the enjoyment of the 
favour of God, and holiness itself, and all salvation, 
without any procuring condition of works, by tlie free 



OF SANCTIFICATION- 97 

gift of God's grace through faith m Christ; yet it is 
very difficult to persuade men out of a way they are na- 
turally addicted to, and that hath forestalled and cap- 
tivated their judgments, and is bred in their bone, and 
therefore cannot easily be gotten out of the flesh. Most 
of those that live under the hearing and profession of 
the gospel, are not brought to hate sin as sin, and to 
love godliness for itself, though they be convinced of 
the necessity of it to salvation ; and therefore they can- 
not love it heartily. The only means they can take to 
bring themselves to a hypocritical practice in their old 
natural way, that they may avoid hell, and get heaven, 
by their works. And their own consciences witness, 
the zeal and love that they have for God and godli- 
ness, their self-denial, sorrow for sin, strictness of life, 
are in a manner forced and extorted from them by slav- 
ish fear and mercenary hope ; so that they are afraid 
that if they should trust on Christ for salvation, by 
free grace without v/orks, the fire of their zeal and 
devotion would be quickly extinguished, and they 
shoidd grow careless in religion, and let loose the 
reigns to their lusts, and bring certain damnation upon 
themselves. This moveth them to account them the 
only Boanergesses who preach little or none of the doc- 
trine of free grace, but rather spend their pains in re- 
buking sin, and urging people to get Christ and liis sal- 
vation by their works, and thundering hell and damna- 
tion against sinners* 

It hath been farther observed, that some that have 
contended much for salvation by free grace, without 
any condition of works, have fallen into aiitinomian 
opinions, and licentious practices. The experience of 
these things hath much prevailed with some learned 
and zealous men of late amongst ourselves, to recede 
from the doctrine oi jiistiji cation of faith without xvorksy 
formerly professed unanimously, and strongly defended 
by the protestants against the papists, as a principal ar- 
ticle of true religion. They have persuadl^d' tliem- 
selves, that ^uch a way of justificatiouls'* ineffectual, 

I 



D3 lllE tiOSPEL MYSTERY 

yea, destnictire to sanctification; and tliat ihe practice 
of sincere obedience cannot be established agamst an- 
tinomian dotages and prevailing lusts, except it be made 
the necessary condition of our justification, and so of 
our eternal salvation. Therefore they conclude, that 
God hath certainly made sincere obedience to be the 
condition of our salvation. And they have endeavour- 
ed to new-model the protestant doctrine, and to inter- 
pret the holy scriptures in a way agreeable and subser- 
vient to this their sure foundvitlon of holiness. 

But I hope to shevv^, that this their imagined sure 
foundation of holiness v/as never laid by the holy God ; 
but that it is rather an tr.ov in the foundation, perni- 
cious to the true faith, and to holiness of life. 1 ac- 
count it an error especially to be abhorred and detested, 
.l>ecause we are so prcne to be seduced by it, and be- 
cause it is an error whereby Satan, transforming him- 
self into an angel of light, and a patron of holiness, 
hath greatly v/ithstood the gospel in the apostle's times, 
and stirred up men to persecute it, out of zeal for the 
law : and hath since prevailed to set up and main vain 
popery, whereby the rr.ystery of iniquity w orketh i.pace 
in these days, to corrupt the purity of the gospel iimong 
protestants, and heal the deadly wound that was given 
to popery, by preaching the doctrine GijustiJIcatio/i hij 
faith, vjithoiit xvcrks. 

One thing asserted in the Direction against this fun- 
damental (irror is, that it is a -way of sai-cation by the 
ivofks of the laiVy :;nd not by the faith of Christy as re- 
\^ealed in the gospel; though the maintainers of it 
would have us believe that it is the- only way to the 
' gospel, that so tliey may not doubt of its power and 
efficacy for our justification, sanctincation, and our 
Vv'hole salvation, '.rhtir reasons are, because the law, 
as a covenant of viorks, require th us to do ail its com- 
mandments pericctly tliat we may Ih'e : whereat; they 
.];:l-:ad only for a milder condiLion of sincere doing, d^iit 
fv'e^nm^-i^ye. And they plead not lor doing dxitiej, 
as obliged Yitl>^xi!nto by the authority, of die law gh^en 



I 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 99 

of God by Moses, but only in obedience to the com- 
inaiids of Christ in the gospel. Neither do they plead 
for salvation by sincere obedience without Christ, but 
only by Christ, and through his niei it and righteous- 
ness. ' And they acknowledge, that both salvation it-^ 
self, and sincere obedience are given to them freely by 
the grace of Christ ; so that all is of grace. They ac- 
knowledge also, that their salvation is by faith, because 
sincere obedience is w^rought in them by believing the 
gospel, and is included in the liature of faith, which is 
the entire condition of our salvation : and some call it 
the resignating act of faith. But all these reasons are 
but a fallacious vizard upon a legal way of salvation, to 
make it look like pure gospel ; as I shall evince by the 
following particulars. * 

1. All that seek salvation by the sincere performance 
oi goodworks^ as the procuring condition, are condemn- 
ed by the apostle, Paul, for seeking righteousness by 
the works of the law^ and not hyfaith^ Rom. ix. 32 ; 
and for seeking to h^ justified by the law^ ^LXid faUing 
from the grace of Christ, Gal. v. 4. This one asser^ 
tio?ij if it can be proved, is enoitgh to pluck off the fal- 
lacious vizard from the condition of sincere obedience, 
and to make men abhor it, as a damning legal doctrine, 
that bereaveth all its followers of all salvation by Christ. 
And the proof of it is not difficult to pei^ons that wa- 
rily consider a point of so great moment for their sal- 
vation. The Jews and judaizing christians, against 
whom the apostle chiefly disputed in his whole contro- 
versy, did not profess any hope of being justified by 
perfect obedience, according to the rigour of the law, 
but only by such obedience as they accounted to be 
sincere, and not hypocritical. And we have no cause 
to doubt but that the judaizing Galatians had learned, 
bj" the gospel, to distinguish sincere obedience from 
hypocrisy. 

The Jewish religion bound all that professed it, to 
acknowledge themselves to be sinners ; as appeareth 
by their anniversary humiliation on the. day of atone- 



100 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

merxt, and several other rites of the law, and many 
clear testimonies in the oracles of God, that were com- 
mitted to them, Psal. cxliii. 2. Prov. x. 9. Eccl. vii, 
20. Yet they know they were bound to turn to the 
Lord with all their hearts, in sincerity and upright- 
r^ess^ and that God would accept of sincere obedience ; 
for- which cause they might better put it for the condi- 
tion of the law, than we can of the gospel, Psal. ii. 9, 
10. Deut. vi. 5. XXX. 10. So that if the apostle had 
disputed against those that held only perfect obedience 
to be the condition of justification, he had contended 
^vith his own shadow. And they might as readily judge 
sincere obedience to be the condition of justification 
under the law, as v^e can judge it to be the condition 
under the gospel. Neither doth the apostle condemn 
them merely for accounting sincere obedience to the 
law, as given by Moses, to be the condition of their 
justification ; but, more generally, for seeking salvation 
hj their own works. And he allegeth against them, 
that Abraham, who lived before the law oi Moses, was 
not justified by any of his works, though he did perform 
sincere obedience; and that David, who lived under 
the law of Moses, was not justified by his works, though 
he performed sincere, obedience, and was as much 
given to obey the law given by Moses, as we are to 
obey any commands of Christ in the gospel, Rom. iv. 
:2, 3, 5, 6. Neither doth he condemn them fot* seek- 
ing their salvation only by works, without respecting 
ut all the grace and salvation that is by Christ; for 
the judaizing Galatians were yet professors of the 
grace and salvation of Christ, though they thought 
obedience to the law a necessary conditioil for the par- 
taking of it, as also many other judaizing believers did. 
And doubtless, they accounted themselves obliged 
thereunto, not only by the authority of Moses, but of 
Christ also, whom they owned as their Lord and Sa- 
viour. And we may be sure it was no damning error, 
to account Moses's law obliging at that time ; for many 
thousands of the Jews, that were fgund believers, held 



OF SAN(;T1F1CA1 ION. 101 

ihe ceremonies of Moses to be in force at that time ; 
and Paul was tender towards them in it, Acts xxi. 20, 
26. XV. 5. And other Jews sought justification, not 
only by their sincere works, but also by trusting on the 
promise made to Abraham, and on their priesthood 
and sacrifices, that were types of Christ. And the 
most legal Pharisees would thank God for their works, 
as proceeding from his grace,. Luke xviii. 11. And 
they could as w^ell acknowledge their salvation to be by 
fjiith, as the asserters of salvation, by sincere obedi- 
ence, can in these days; for they accounted that their 
sincere obedience was wrought in them by believing 
the word of God, which contained gospel as w^ell as 
legal doctrine in it; and therefore that it must be in- 
cluded in the nature of faith,, if faith were taken for the 
condition of their salvation.. 

Let the asserters of the conditiGn of sincere obedi- 
ence learn fivDm hepce, that they are building again 
that Judaism which the apostle Paul destroyed, where- 
by the Jews stumbled at Christ, Rom. ix. 32^; and the 
Galatians were in danger of falling from Christ and 
grace, Gal., v. 2, 4 ; and let them beware of felling 
under that curse which he hath denounced, on this 
very occasion, against any man, or angel, that shall 
preach any other gospel than that which he hath preach- 
ed, Gal. i. 8, ^. 

2. The diflerence between the law and gospel doth" 
not at all consist in this, the one requireth perfect do- 
ing; the other, only sincere doing ; but in this, that the 
one requireth doings xho, other not doing, but believing' 
for life '^nd salvation. Their terms are diifereni:, 
not only in degree, but in their whole nature. 

The apostle Paul opposeth the believing required in 
the gospel, to all doing for life, as the condition proper 
to the law, Gal. iii. 12. ^' The law is not of faith ; but 
the man that doth them, shall live in them.^' Rom. iv,. 
5. *' To him that worketh not, but believeth on him 
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for- 
righteousness." If we seek salvation bv ever so easy. 

13 



102 THE GOSPEL MYSIEIIY 

and mild a condition of works, we do thereby bring 
ourselves under the terms of the law, and become debt- 
ors to fulfil the whole law in perfection, though Ave in- 
tended to engage ourselves only to fulfil it in part^ GaL 
V. 3 ; for the law is a complete declaration of the only 
terms whereby God will judge all that are not brought 
to despair of procuring salvation by any of their own 
works, and to receive it as a gift freely given to them 
by the ^race of God in Christ. So that all that seek 
salvation, right or wrong, knowingly or ignorantiy, by 
any works, less or m.ore, whether invented by their crvvn 
superstition, or commanded by God in the Old or New 
Testament, shall at last stand or fall accordhig to these 
terms. 

3. Sincere obedience cannot be performed to all the 
commands of Christ in the gospel, except it be also 
performed to the moral Icau^ as given b}" Moses, and 
as obliging us by that authority. Sofne as'sertcrs of the 
condition of salvation, by sincere obedience to the com- 
mands of Christ, would fain be free from the authority 
of the law of Moses, because that justifieth none, but 
thurir reth out a curse against all those that seek sal- 
Viition by the works of it, Gal. iii. 10, 11. But if they 
were at all justified by sincere works, their respect to 
Moses's authority would not hinder their success : for 
many that v.ere good christians, accounted themselves 
bound to obey, not only the moral, but the ceremonial 
law t and if they had sought justification by any works^ 
they woaid have sought it by those, Acts xx. 20, 21. 
I'hey knew not of any justification by sincere works^ 
as commanded in the gospel ; yet, if they had erred 
in any thing absolutely necessary to salvation, the apos- 
tles would not have tolerated their weakness. And^ 
v^/hether they will or no, they mvist seek their salvation 
by the vrorks of the moral law, as given by Mcses^ or 
else they can never get it by sincere obedience to the 
commands of Christ. Christ never loved their new 
condition so well, as to abolish the ]Mosaical authority 
of the moral lavv^, for the establishing of it* He ciime 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 105 

not to destroy the lazu and the prophets^ but to fulfil 
them, in the practice required by them ; and hath de- 
clared, that '^ those that break one of the least of these 
commandments, and teach men so, shall be called the 
least in the kingdom of heaven : but whosoever shall 
do and teach them, the same shall be called great in 
the kingdom of heaven. Mat. v. IT, 19. He command- 
ed us to '^ do to men whatsoever we would they should 
do to us, because this is the law and the prophets : 
which is sufficient to prove, that he would have us to 
account the law authoritative to oblige us in this mat- 
ter. He requireth his disciples to observe and do 
w^hatsoever the Scribes and Phariseeis bid them, be- 
cause they " sat in Moses's seat,'' Mat. xxiii. 2, 3. 

^nd, to come to the point in hand, when Christ had 
occasion to answer the questions of those that were 
guilty of the same error, that I am now dealing with, 
in seeking salvation by their own works, he shev/ed 
them that they must obey the commands as they were 
already established by the Mosaical authority, in the 
scriptures of the Old Testament: ^^ V/hat is written in 
the law? how readest thou? This do, and thou shalt 
live," Luke x. 26, 28. " If thou wilt enter into life^ 
keep the commandments ;" which are, '' thou shalt do 
no murder; thou shalt not commit adultery," &c. 

In like manner the apostles of Christ urged the per- 
formance of moral duties upon believers, by the autho- 
rity of the law given by Moses. The apostle Paul ex- 
horteth to love one another^ because " he that loveth 
one another, hath fulfilled the law," Rom. xiii. 8; and 
to " honour our father i^jefd mother, v/hich is the first 
command with promised, Eph. vi. 2. The apostle 
John exhorteth to love others^ as no new^ but dn old 
commandment. The apostle James exhorteth ^^ to ful- 
fil the royal law, according to the scriptures: thou shalt 
love thy neighbour as thyself;" and to keep all the 
commandments of the law, one as well as another, be- 
cause he that said, '^ do not commit adultery," said also, 
^' do not kill," J?;.m. ii. 8, 10^ !!• Sound protestants 



iu4 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

have accounted the denial of the moral law of Moses 
to be an antinomian error. And though our late pre- 
varicators against antinomianism maintain not this er- 
ror ; yet they establish a worse error, justification btj 
thei?' sincere gospel works. I think the denomination 
of the antlnominians arose from this error. The law 
of Moses had its authority at first from Christ; for 
Chrisi was the I^ord God of Israel, that ordained the 
law by angels on mount Sinai, in the hand of Moses, a 
mediator for the Israelites, who were then his only 
church, and v/ith whom we believing Gentiles are now 
joined, as ^^ fellow mem.bers of one and the same body," 
Eph. iii. 6. And though Christ hath since abrogated 
some of the commandments, then given by Moses, 
concerning figurative ceremonies and judicial proceed- 
ings, yet he hath not annulled the obligative authority 
of the moral law, but hath left it in its full force, to 
oblige in moral duties, that still are to be practised ; 
as, when some acts of any parliament are repealed, the 
authority of the same parliament remaineth inviolable 
in other acts that are not repealed. 

I know they object, that the ten commands of the 
moral law, the mi?iistration of death ^ written and en- 
graveJi on stones^ are also done away by Christ, 2 Cor. 
iii. 7. But this maketh altogether against their condi- 
tional covenant : for they are the ministration of death, 
and done away, not as they commanded perfect obedi- 
ence, for even Christ himself commandeth us to he per- 
fcct^ Mat. V. 48 ; but as, they were conditions for pro- 
curing life, and avoiding death, established by a pro- 
mise of life to the doers, and a curse to the breakers 
of them. Gal. iii. 10, 12. The covenant made v/ith. 
Israel on mount Sinai, is abolished by Christ, the me- 
diator of the new covenant, Ileb. viii. 8, 9, 13. And 
the ten commandments bind us not as they were words 
of that covenant, Exod. xxxiv. 28. I mean, they bind 
us not as conditions of that covenant, except we seek 
to be justified by works : for the law, as a covenant,, 
doth still stand in force enough to curse those that seek. 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 105 

salvation by their own works, Gal. iii. 10; and, if 
abolished, it is only to those that are in Christ by faith. 
Gal. ii. 16, 20. Acts iii. 22 — 25. xv. 10, 11. But the 
ten commandments bind us still, as they were then 
given to a people that were at that time under the co- 
venant of grace made with Abraham, to shew them 
what duties are holy, just and good, well-pleasing to 
God, and to be a rule for their conversation. The re- 
sult of all is, that we must still practise moral duties, 
as commanded by Moses ; but we must not seek to be 
justified by our practice. If we use them as a rule of 
life, not as conditions of justification, they can be no 
minutration of deaths or killing letter unto us. The 
perfection indeed maketh them to be harder terms to 
procure life by, but a better rule to discover all im- 
perfections, and to guide us* to that perfection which 
we should aim at» And it will be our wisdom, not to 
part with the authority of the decalogue of Moses, un- 
til our new divines can furnish us with another system 
of morality, as coinplete as that, and as excellently com- 
posed, and ordered by the wisdom of God, and more 
authentic than that is. 

4. Those that endeavour to procure God's salvation, 
by their sincere obedience to all the commands of 
Christ, do act contrary to that w^ay of salvation by 
Christy free grace ^nA faith ^ discovered in the gospel, 
though they own it in profession ever so highly. 

1st. They act contrary to the way of salvation by 
Christ; for they would heal themselves, and save them- 
selves from the power and pollution of sin, and procure 
God's favour, by performing sincere obedience, before 
they are come to Christ, the only physician and Saviour. 
They lay their own obedience lowest in the foundation 
of their salvation, and build the enjoyment of Christ 
upon it, who ought to be the only foundation. They 
would sanctify themselves, before they have a sure in- 
terest in Christ; and, " going about to establish their 
own righteoasness, they do not submit themselves to 
the righteousness of Ggd m Christy" Rom# x. 3, 4. 



105 THE GOSPEL MYSTEP.Y 

Sometimes they will call the righteousness of Christ, 
their legal righteousness, that they make room for an 
evangelical righteousness of their own works, to be the 
immediate procuring cause of their justification by 
Christ ; whereas the apostle Paul knew no evangelical 
righteousness but that of Christ, which he called '' the 
righteousness of faith without the lav/," Rom. iii. 21, 
22. and not '' of the law," Phil. iii. 9. Thus they make 
void Christ's salvation, while they pretend to own it, 
and Christ profiteth them nothing. Christ is become of 
7ione effect to them, while they would be " justified by 
the Liw," Gal. v. 2, 4. If we would be saved by Christ, 
vre must own ourselves dead, lost sinners, that can have 
no righteousness for justification but his ; no life or abi- 
lity to do good, until God bring us into union and fel- 
lowship vfith him. 

2d. 'iliey do act also contrary to salvation hy grace^ 
according to the true meaning of the gospel. For we 
ate not saved by grace ^ as the supreme cause of salva- 
tion, by the intervention of works, g^Ven a^d accepted 
by grace, as the procuring cavise ; in which sense we 
might be saved by grace,^ though by a covenant of 
works ; as a servant that hath monies given him by his 
master, to purchase an annuity of his master at a lov?' 
rate, may profess that he had an annuity given him 
freely, and yet that he hath purchased it, and may claim 
it as a due debt. But we are saved by grace, as the im- 
mediate and complete cause of our xvhole salvation, ex- 
cluding procurement of our salvation by the condition 
of works, and claiming it by any lav/ as a due debt. 

The scripture teacheth us, that there is a perfect op- 
position, and utter irreconcilableness, between salva- 
tion by grace and works : ^' If by grace, then it is 
no more of v/orks ; otherwise grace is no more grace ; 
but, if it be of works, then it is no more grace; other- 
w^ise work is no more work," Rom. xi. G. So also, 
there is an oppositioia between a reward reckoned of 
grace and of debt, Rom. iv. 4 ; between a promise of 
happinetjs by the law^ and by grace, Rom. iv. 13, 1& 



' OF SANCTIFICATIO^^ 107 

God is so jealous of the glory of his free grace^ that he 
will not SLive us by any works, though of his own work- 
ing in us/' lest, any man should boiist," Eph. ii, 9. He 
knoweth when he liealeth men by physic, or maintain- 
eth them by the labour of their hands, they are prone 
to attribute the glory, rather to the means they use, 
than to his sole bounty and goodness. 

3d, They do also act contrary to the way of salva- 
tion hy faith : for, as I have shevvn already, the faith 
which is required for our salvation in the gospel, is to 
be understood in a sense contrary to doing good works, 
as a condition to procure our salvation, and so the true 
difference between terms of the law and the gospel may 
be maintained, Belidvhig is opposed to ail xvorktng for 
salvation, and the lavo ofvoorks to the laxu offaith^ Mom. 
iv. 5. iii. 27. Eph. ii. 8, 9. ^rherefore, we must not 
here consider faith as a work of righteousness, as com- 
,prehending any works of righteousness performed or 
done, as a condhton to procure a right and title to 
Christ, as the hand whereby Vv^e work, to earn him as 
our bread and drink, as our waj^es : but only as the hand 
Vvdiereby we receive Christ,^ as freely given to us, or as 
the moitth whereby we eat and drink him ; as hath been 
proved. God giveth a sufficient right to receive Christ 
and his salvation, by the free gospel-offer and invita- 
tion ; so that he leaveth nothing for faith to do, but to 
lay hold of him as a free gift, that the glory of our sal- 
vation may rot be ascribed at ail to our faith or xvorks^ 
!)ut only to this free grace of God in Christ: " It is of 
faith, that it may be by grace," Roin, iv. 16. 

5. Christ, or his aposdes, ncT/er taught a gospel that 

equireth such a condition of v/oiks for salvation as 

they plead for. The texts of scripture which they 

usually allege for this purpose, aie either contrary to 

it, or widely distant from it; as they might learn from 

many protestant interpreters, if their afTxtion to a 

;)opish tenet had not blinded them. J sliali instance 

ricfly onl}' in a few of these texts, wlicrcbj'- ycu may 

.ave some light to judge of the true me Lining of the 



108 THE GOSPEL IMYSTERY 

rest. That obedience of faith ^ mentioned by the apos- 
tle Paul, as the great design oi gospel preachings Rom. 
i. 5. is as contrary to their condition of sincere ob'^di- 
ence for salvation, as the law of faith is to the law of 
xvorks^ Rom. iii. 23. It is an obedience that consisteth 
in '' believing the report of the gospel ;" as the apostle 
explaineth himself.^ Rom. x. 16. *' They have not all 
obeyed the gospel ; for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath 
believed our report ?" Faith is to be imputed ior righte- 
\:)asnes3, not because it is a work of righteousness itself, 
but because we do by it renounce all confidence in any 
righteous works whatsoever, and trust on him that jus- 
tifieth the ungodly; as is clear by that very text which 
they usually pervert for their purpose, Rom. iv. 5. 
They grossly pervert those words of Paul, Rom. ii. 6, 
7. " Who will render to every man according to his 
deeds ; to them who, by patient continuance in well- 
doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, 
eternal life :'' Where they will have Pavil to be declar- 
ing the terms ofthegospel^ when he is evidently declar- 
ing the terms of the law^ to prove that both Jews and 
Gentiles are all under sin, and that no flesh dan be jus- 
tified by the works of the law, as appeareth by the tenor 
of his following discourse, Rom. iii. 9, 10. They join 
evidently with the papists, against the concurrent judg- 
ment of the best protestant divines, in the interpreta- 
tion of that text, James ii. 24. " Ye see then, how that 
by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.'^ 
Where they will have James to deliver the doctrine of 
jusiification in More proper expressions than the apos- 
tle Paul, who tSacheth justification by faith without 
v/orks ; though Paul treateth on this doctrine as his 
principal subject, and James doth only speak of it oc- 
casionally, as a motive to the practice of good works; 
wliereby v/e may easily judge which of their expres- 
sions are to be taken for the most proper. 

Protestants have shewed Sufficiently, that James 
speaketh not of a true saving faith, but of such a dead 
faith as jilevils have ; not of justification ih a proper 



OF SxljVCTlFICATIOJV- 109 

sense, but of the declaration and manifestation of it by 
its fruits,. Besides he speaks of justification by works, 
as commanded in the hiw given by Moses ; as appear- 
eth by his citing the commandments of the law, ven 8, 
11. which our contrivers of the new divinity would 
have nothing to do with in their model of the doctrine 
of justification. 

Another text alleged by them, is, Rev. xxii. 14. 
" Blenied are they that do his commandments, that 
they may have a right to the tree of life, and m.ay en* 
ter in through the gates into the city." But the Greek 
word, which is here translated right y is tr?insl2ited pozucr 
OY privilege^ John i. 12. It signifieth here, a rightful 
possession of the fruit of the tree of life, and not a mere 
title to it. So this text proveth no more than what the 
protestants generally acknowledge, that good works are 
the way wherein we are to walk to the enjoyments and 
possession of the glory of Christ; though a title to 
Christ, and his glorious salvation, be freely given us 
without any procuring condition of works. They ac- 
count also, that v/hen the happiness of heaven is called 
a rexoardy it must needs imply 2i procuring condition of 
works y as. Rev. xxii. 12. Mat. v. 12» But though it 
be called a reward, because it is given after the doing 
of good works, and because it recompenseth good 
w^orks, better than any wages on earth can recompense 
the labourer : yet it is a reward of grace^ not of debt^ 
Rom. iv. 4 ; it is no proper wages, but a free gift : 
Rom. vi. 24 ; " For the wages of sin is death ; but the 
gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord." 

Another thing asserted in the Direction is, that those 
that endeavour to perform this sincere obedience, as a 
condition to procure a right and title to Christ and his 
salvation, shall never be able to perform sincerely any 
true obedience by all such endeavours. 'ITiough they 
labour earnestly, and pray fervently, fast frequently, 
and oblige themselves to holiness by many vows, and 
press themselves to the practice of it, by the most for- 

J 



110 THE GOSPEL IVIYSTERY 

cibie mT)tives, taken from the infinite power, jiistke, 
and knowledge of God, the equity and goodness of his 
commands, the salvation of Christ, everlasting misery, 
or any other motive, improved by the most affectionate 
meditation ; yet they shall never attain to the end which 
they aim at in such an erroneous w ay. They may re- 

- strain their corruptions, and bring themselves to many 
hypocritical slavish performances, whereby they may 
be esteemed among men, as eminent saints; br.t they 
shall not be able to mortify one corruption, or to per- 
form one duty in such a holy manner as God approv- 
eth. Yet here I censure only an error, not the life of 
the persons that maintain it. I have heard that some 
preach legally, and pray evangelically. I doubt not 
but the frame of their hearts and lives is rather accord- 
ing to their prayers than their sermons. Though Peter 
complied w^ith Judaism, in an outward act of profes- 
sion, yet he lived himself like a christian. Gal. ii. 11, 
14. I affirm only, that no godly person did or could 
attain to this godliness in this erroneous way. And 
v/hat a lamentable disappointment this to those that 
have attempted to alter the protestant doctrine, and to 
pervert and confound law and gospel, and have bred 
much contention in the church, that they might secure 
the practice of sincere obedience against antinomian 
errors, by making it the procuring condition of their 
salvation ; when, after all this ado, the remedy is found 
to be as bad as the disease, equally unserviceable and 
destructive to that great end for Vv hich they designed 
it; and that it hath an antinomian effect and operation, 
contrary to the power of godliness] 

•Much more might be said for the confutation of this 
hdvel doctrine ; but, if this one thing be well proved, 

•it may be sufficient to make the zealous contrivers of 
itto be ashamed of their craft, and angry with them- 
selves, and sorry that they have taken so much pains, 
and so 9tret<xhed their vv'^its, to maintain such an unpro- 
fitable, H-dsanctifying opinion. It will be sufficient for 
the pr<x>f >Gf it, if I shew, that the practice of true holi- 



OF SANCTIFICATION. Hi 

ness cannot possibly be attained unto, by seeking to be 
saved by the works of the law ; because I have already 
proved, that this doctrine of salvation, by sincere obe- 
dience, is according to the terms of the law, and not of 
the gospel. And hereby those also may see their error, 
that ascribe justification only to the gospel, and sancti- 
fication to the lav/. Yet, because those asserters of the 
condition of sincere obedience will hardly be persuaded 
by what hath been said, that it is the way of the law 
of works ; I shall, for their more full conviction, suffi- 
ciently manifest, that it is of no other nature and opera- 
tion, than any other doctrine that is proper to the law, 
and hath no better fruit ; as I proceed to prove, by the 
following arguments, that holiness cannot be attained 
by seeking it by the law of works, that so it may ap- 
pear not worthy to be called gospel doctrine. 

1. The v/ay of salvation by the works of the law, is 
contrary and destructive to those necessary means of a 
holy practice, that have been laid down in the foregoing 
directions, and manifestly proved out of the holy scrip- 
tures. I have made it appear, that a hearty propensity 
to a holy practice cannot be attained without some 
good persuasion of our reconciliation with God by jus- 
tification, and of our everlasting happiness, and of suf- 
ficient strength both to will and to perform our duty^ 
and that these and all other endowments necessary to 
the same end, are to be had only in Christ, by union 
and fellowship with him ; and that Christ himself, and 
all his fulness, is united to us by faith ; which is not a 
condition to procure a right and title to Christ, but an 
instrument whereby we receive liiin actually in cur 
hearts,, by trusting on him for ail salvation /freely pro- 
mised to us in the gospel*. 

All these means of a holy practice, are things where- 
in our spiritual life and happiness doth consist; so that, 
if we have them, everlasting life is begun in us already ; 
and because they are the necessary means of a holy 
practice, therefore the beginning of everlasting life in 
us must not be placed after such a practice, as the fruit;. 



il2 TilE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

i>nd consequence of it; but must go before it, as tlie 
cause before the effect. Kow, the terms of the law 
arc directly contrary to this method. They place the 
practice of holiness before life, and to make it to be 
the means and procuring cause of life ; as Moses de- 
f cribeth them, Rom. x, 5. ^' The man that doth these 
thitigs, shall live by them." By these terms, you are 
first to do the holy duties commanded, before you have 
any interest in the life promised, or any right to lay 
hold of it, as yours, by faith. And you must practise 
holiness without the fore -mentioned means, or else you 
can never attain them. Thus the true means are turned 
out of their office ; and instead of being causes^ they 
are made to be effects and fruits of a holy practice* 
And it will be in vain ever to expect such effects and 
fruits ; for holiness itself, with all its effects, must needs 
be destroyed, when its necessary causes are done away. 
Therefore, the apostle Paul testifieth, that the way of 
salvation by the works of the law maketh faith void, 
and the promise of none effect ; and frustrateth the 
grace of God, as if Christ died in vain ; and maketh 
Christ to be of no profit, and of none effect to us, as 
those that are fallen from grace, Rom. iv. 14. Gal. ii. 
21. and v. 2, 4. 

Let us now examine the modem doctrine of salva- 
tion, by the condition of sincere obedience to all the 
commands of Christ, and we shall quickly find it to be 
a chip of the same block with the former legal way of 
salvation, in the same manner destructive to the means 
of holiness itself. It requireth of us the performance 
of sincere and complete obedience, before we have the 
means necessary to produce it, by making it antecedent 
to our justification, and persuasion of eternal happiness, 
and our actual enjoyment of union and fellowship with 
Christ, and of that new nature which is to be had only 
hi him by faith. It destroyeth the nature of that sav- 
ing faith whereby we actually receive and enjoy Christ 
and all his benefits, and knocketh off our hands from 
laying hold of Christ and his salvation, by telling U5 



OF S ANCTIFIC A TION. 1 13 

still, as Christ told the legal worker, after all his labour, 
that yet we lack something, Mark x. 21 ; that it is pre- 
sumption to take him as our own, until we have per- 
formed the condition for our right and title to him; 
which is another kind of saving faith, otherwise called 
sincere obedience.. By this devised conditional faith, 
Satan keepeth many poor souls at bay, poring upon their 
own hearts for many years together, to find whether 
they have performed the condition, and whether they 
have as yet any right to Christ for their salvation, not 
daring to venture to take him as their own. It is a 
strong partition-wall, that will certainly hinder the soul 
from coming to Christ, until it be thrown down by the 
knowledge of salvation by grace, without any procur- 
ing condition of works.. And though it be accounted 
but as the payment of a pepper-corn for a great estate ; 
yet it is enough to break. the ablest man in the world,, 
because it debarreth him from laying hold of the only 
effectual means of holiness, whereby that pepper-corn 
may be obtained... 

2. Those that seek salvation by the works of the law, 
do therein act according to their natural state. They 
live and walk according to the flesh, or old man; not 
according to the new state, by Christ living in them. I 
doubt not but several of them that live under the light 
of the gospel, are partakers of a new state in Christ,, 
and do walk holily in it ; but the best in this world have 
in them flesh as well as spirit, and may act according 
to either state in- some measure; and in this matter 
they do act only according to their carnal natural state. , 
When the believing Galatians were seduced to a legal 
way of salvation, the apostle Paul chargeth it upon them 
as their folly, that,, having began in the Spirit, they 
would now be " made perfect in the flesh," Gal. iii. 3.. 
And he resembleth those that desire to be under the 
law, to Abraham's son, born of Hagar, the bond woman^^ 
to shew, that such do walk as those that " are bora: 
after the flesh, not after the Spirit," Gal. iv. 19, 23,, 
26.. The lav/ was first given to Adam in his pure na-- 

J2 



114 THE GOSPEL IMYSTERY 

taral state, to- prescribe terms for his continuance ir. 
the happiness v:hich he then enjoyeci. And ever since 
that time, the flesh, or natural man, is married to the 
law, and the law hath dojiiiniQn over a man as long as 
he livethy that is, until he be dead to his fleshly state 
by the body of Christ, and ^^ married to him" that is 
*^ raised from the dead,'^ Rom. vii. 1, 4. We are not 
at all under the law as a covenant of works, according 
to our new state in Christ; as the apostle testificth^ 
Rom. vi. 14. " Ye are not under the law, but under 
grace :" and Gal. v. 18« " If ye are led by the Spirit, 
ye are not under the law." From hence, we may firmly 
conclude, that none can possibly attain to true godli- 
ness by acting according to legal terms ; because 1 ha^'e 
fully proved already, that it is i"mpossible to be godly 
v/hile we are in the flesh, or in a natural state ; and 
' iliat, as far as we act according to it, we can do nothing 
but sin. ■ rhe lav/ is so weak through the flesh, that it 
cannot bring us to- fulfil its own righteousness, Rom, 
vWu. 3,. 4. It is married to a cross piece of flesh, that 
l'^ enmity to it, a,nd can r^ever be subject to it, Rom» 
viii. 8,. It sueth the natural man for an old debt of 
obedience, that he is utterly unable to pay since the fall r 
and the success accordingly ; it gets nothing. Neither 
do those take a better course, that would bring them- 
selves to holiness, by making sincere obedience to 
Christ's commands, the condition of their salvation- 
'^^rheir way is the same for substance vrith that of the 
Galatians before mentioned, who would be made per- 
fect in the flesh, not by perfect obedience, but sincere ; 
as hath been shewed before. Their endeavours to 
procure an interest in Christ, by their sincere obedi- 
«?mce, do testify against themselves, that they do not act 
as people that are in Christ, but rather as people that 
judge themselves to be without an interest in Christ, 
tmd to be yet to seek for it. And sincere obedience i^ 
j:is impossible to be attained unto, as perfect obedience* 
■ f Tv-e r>.c,t a:ccordi!ig tc our dead natural state. 



OF SAXC 11 FICATIOK, 1 1 5 

o. As the luw bereaveth of all strengthening means 
that are to be had by faith in Christ, and findeth us 
without strength in our natural state ; so of itself, it 
affordeth us 7io strength to fulfil its own commands : 
*' If there had been a law given that could have given 
life, verily righteousness should have been by the law," 
GaL iii. 21. It doth not so much as promise life, un- 
til we have performed the obedience required by it. 
*^ The man that doth these things shall live by them," 
Rom. >:. 5. It is well called a '' voice of words," Ileb. 
xii. 19 ; because its high and big words are not accom- 
panied with an enlivening power. And the doctrine 
of life and salvation by sincere obedience is no better 
natured, or more bountiful to us ; for it exacteth of us 
the performance of the condition, before it alloweth us 
any life or salvation by Christ. Can any man ration- 
tiUy expect strength to obey sincerely, by follov/ing a 
doctrine that doth not so much as premise it ? J.'he 
true gospel is of a miore benign natiu^e ; for it promis- 
eth, that " God will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh," 
Acts ii. 17; *^ and will put his laws into our minds, 
and write them in our hearts," II^,b. viii. 10; " and 
will cause us to wiiik in his statutes, that we shall keep 
his judgments, and do them_," Ezek. xxxvi. 27. This 
word of God^s grace, that requireth not holiness of us 
as a condition, but promiseth it to as as a free gift, 
must needs be the only doctrine, " that is able to build 
us up, and to give us an inheritance among them that 
are sanctified," Acts xx. 32. Seeing it pleaseth God 
10 bring us to holiness by believing a doctrine, we m,ay 
reasonablv expect that God should work upon us suit- 
ably to the niuure of the doctrine which we believe ; 
that he should give by a giving doctrine, and exact by 
an exacting doctrine. 

4. The v/ay of procuring life and happiness, by the 
condition of perfect or sincere works, is not a rational 
"melhod^ for the recovery of fallen man; though it were 
good for the preserving of life before the fall : for, it 
^rcscribeth the immediate practice of holmesj/ to re- 



116 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

cover a man dead in sin ; as if one should say to the 
sick of the palsy, arise and xualk^ and then thou shalt 
be whole and able to walk* We sometimes say jestingly 
to a child that is fallen on the ground, come hither^ and 
I will help th^e up : but if we should say so to one that 
is cast on his bed by a dead palsy, we should be guilty 
of mocking and cruelly insulting the afflicted. Those 
that are humbled and made sensible of their original 
sin, and natural deadness, know that they must first 
live by the Spirit, before they can act holily. Gal. v. 
25. They will inquire, " How shall we have strength 
to perform the duty required ?" If you answer, that 
they must trust in God and Christ to help them ; they 
may readily reply, they have no sure ground to trust 
on God or Christ, for any saving grace, according to 
this doctrine, before they have performed this condi- 
tion, at least in a sincere resolution of obedience, and 
that they are as unable to bring their hearts to such a 
resolution, as a dead man is to raise himself out of the. 
grave. Take another instance. The method of the 
doctrine of works is, you must love God first, and then, 
on that condition, he will love you again ; whereas, on 
the contrary, ^^ we love God, because he first loved us,^^ 
1 John iv. 16. And if God suspend his love to us upon 
any condition, our love to him will not be absolute, but 
suspended upon the same condition, and no way con- 
trary to an actual hating of him. 

5. The law is so far from healing our sinful corrupt 
tion, that it proveth rather an occasion of sinful motions 
and actings^ in those that seek salvation by the works 
of it. This Cometh to pass by reason oi'the power of 
our natural corruption ; which is stirred up and rageth 
the more, when the holy and just law of God is set in 
opposition against it ; so that the fault is not in the law, 
but in our own hearts. Those that find not this by 
their own experience, should believe the apostle Paul, 
who teacheth it plainly, and that from his own experi- 
ence, Horn. vii. 5, 14. He affirmeth, that there are 
motions of sin by the law, in a fleshly state : ThoushaJt 



OF SAXC TIFICATIOIS. 1 17 

not covet^ wrought in him all manner of concupiscence^ 
deceived him, slew him, became exceeding sinful ; and 
that without the law, he was alive, and sin died ; but, 
when the commandment came, sin revived, and he died. 
lie sheweth the cause of this irreconcilable enmity and 
contrariety between his sinful nature and the law : The 
law is spiritual ; but lam carnal^ sold under sin* Take 
notice here, from the reason given by the apostle, that 
the doctrine of salvation, by 'sincere obedience, will 
have the same event. Corrupt nature is contrary to 
sincere obedience, as well as perfect; and, if v/e make 
it the condition of our salvation, sin will take the same 
occasion by it, to become exceeding sinful in its mo- 
tions and actings. 

The success of legal doctrine upon the natural man, 
IS according to the proverb, ^^ reprove not a scorner, 
lest he hate thee," Prov. ix. 8. Rebuking a madman, 
is the way to enrage him ; and such is the natural man 
in spiritual things, since he fell out of his right mind 
by the sin of Adam. We find, by manifold experience, 
that though men be generally addicted to the principle 
of salvation by works, yet multitudes of them hate all 
strict preachers and professors of true holiness, because 
they are a torment to their consciences. They endea* 
vour to shelter themselves in ignorance of the law : 
accounting, that the less they know, the less they shall 
answer for ; and therefore they would not have right 
things prophesied unto them, Isaiah xxx. 10. And 
they have prevailed generally in the vrorld, to darken 
the natural knowledge of moral duties, in such a de- 
gree, that there is a necessity of learning them by di- 
vine revelation out of the scriptures. We may find how 
prone legal writers are to corrupt the sense of the lav^'^, 
that they may leave starting holes for their corruptions, 
by the corrupt glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees, 
from which Christ did vindicate it, as v/e see, Matthew 
fifth. And, as far as I have observed, none more en- 
deavour to discover the purity and perfection of the 
law, than those that seek holiness ai:d salvation, with- 



118 TIIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

out any legal condition, by the mere free grace of God 
in Christ. The doctrine of salvation, by sincere obe- 
dience, is but a mincing the perfection required in the 
law : and yet how is this doctrine minced again and 
again, until it is become so small, that the substance of 
all true obedience is lost ? A willingness to be saved 
according to Christ's terms, or a consent that Christ 
should be our Lord, or a resolution to obey his com- 
mandments (which is little more than ignorant men 
trust on, when they say, they hope God will save them 
because they have a good meaning, though they live in 
the neglect of all religion) without any further practice 
of holiness, shall pass with many for enough of sincere 
obedience, both to enter them into a state of salvation, 
and to continue them in it ; so that they shall never be 
accounted breakers of the gospel covenant, while so 
much can be pretended. The most that is made ne- 
cessary for salvation, shall be only to endeavour to do 
what we can to obey Christ's commands ; though all 
that the most can do, is nothing that is truly good. 

Those that have a little more zeal for their salvation 
by works, are prone to spend it in superstitious observ- 
ances, because they suit better with their carnal nature, 
than the spiritual commands of God and Christ. I 
doubt not but this hath been one occasion of the pre- 
vailing of heathenish, Jevtdsh and popish superstitions 
in the world. We find, by experience, how popery 
fell in several nations of late years, when the great pil- 
lar of it, the doctrine of justification by works, %vas 
overthrown by the protestant doctrine of justificatioQ 
by faith alone. If these legal zealots be forced, by 
strong conviction, to endeavour the practice of spiritual 
duties, for quieting their guilty consciences, they may 
possibly be brought to strive and labour earnestly, and 
even to macerate their bodies with fasting, that they 
may kill their lusts ; but still their lusts are livings and 
strong as ever they were ; and do shew forth their en- 
mity against the law of God, by inward fretting, re- 
pining, and grudging at it, as a giuevous task-master^ 



OF SANCTIFICATION. ltd 

though a slavish fear restrain their gross outward act- 
ings. And, if once these zealots be enlightened with 
the knowledge of the spiritual nature of the law, to 
discern that God rejecteth alLtheir slavish service, and 
will not own it for sincere obedience ; then they fall 
into despair of their salvation, because they see they 
have failed in their highest attempts to perform the 
condition ,* and then they can easily discover them^ 
selves, that their hearts swell in anger and manifest 
hatred against the law, yea, and against God and Christ, 
for prescribing such hard conditions of salvation, which 
they cannot keep, and yet must expect to be damned 
eternally for breaking them. This fiUeth them with 
blasphemous thoughts against God and Christ, and they 
can hardly refrain from blaspheming him with their 
tongues. And when they are brought to this horrible 
condition, if God doth not in mercy discover to them 
the way of salvation, by free grace, through faith alone, 
they will endeavour, if they can, to sear their con- 
sciences past feeling of sin, and fully to abandon all re- 
ligion, which hath proved such an unsufFerable torment 
to them : or, if they cannot sear their consciences, some 
of them are easily prevailed v/ith by Satan, rather to 
murder themselves, than to live longer in the hatred of* 
God, the spirit of blasphemy, and continual horror of 
conscience. This is the pestilent effect of the legal 
doctrine upon a carnal heart, that doth but rouse up, 
and terrii)ly enrage the sleeping lion, our sinful cor- 
ruption, instead of killing it : as is too evident by the 
experience of many that have endeavoured, with all 
their might, to practise it; and, by the scripture, that 
sheweth a sufficient cause why it cannot be otherwise. 
Therefore, the doctrine of salvation, by sincere obedi- 
ence, that was invented op;ainst antinomianism, may 
well be ranked among the worst antinomian errors. 
For my part, I hate it with perfect hatred, and account 
it mine enemy, as I have found it to be. And I have 
found, by some good experience, the truth of the les- 
son taught by the apostle, that the way to be freed from 



129 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

the mastery and dominion of sin, is, " not to be under 
ih6 law, but under grace," Rom. vi. 14. 

6. The way of salvation by works was blasted by 
the curse denounced against the first Adam's sin ; so 
that now it cannot work life in us, or holiness, but only 
death ; for the law, which requireth both sincere and 
perfect obedience to God in all things, was made known 
to Adam at his first creation, as the means of the con- 
tinuing the happy life that was then bestowed upon 
him ; and it would have been effectual for this end, if 
he had not transgressed in the forbidden fruit. But, 
when he had once brought himself and his posterity 
•under the terrible sentence, " thou shalt surely die," 
Gen. ii. 17 ; all that knowledge of God, or his law, that 
before wrought for continuance of life, was turned by 
that cursed sentence the contrary way, to work for his 
death, even for the death of the soul in sin, as well as 
for the death of his body; and therefore it quickly 
moved him to hide himself from God as an enemy. It 
v»^as, as if God should say, " all the light and knowledge 
that thou hast, shall not be able to continue thy life, or 
restore it ; but it shall rather tend to thy death." There- 
fore, while we continue in our na.tural state, under the 
first Adam's guilt and curse, the knowledge of the law, 
yea, and all such knowledge of God and his attributes, 
as natural men attain to, must needs be, in like manner, 
accursed to us. And seeing man did not use his na- 
tural knowledge and wisdom alike, God is resolved to 
revenge the abuse of it, by giving us salvation in a way 
contrary to it, that seemeth foolishness to the natural 
man ; and wholly to abolish the way of living by any 
of our works, or by any wisdom or knowledge that the 
natural man can attain unto. '' For it is written, I will 
destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing 
the understanding of the prudent. Hath not God made 
foolish the wisdom of the world ? for, after that, in the 
wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, 
it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save 
them that believe," 1 Cor. i. 19, 20, 21. Hence we 



OF SANGTIFICATI0K. 121 

may conclude, that no truth, known by tlie light of na- 
ture, can be an effectual principle, or motive, to work 
holiness in us ; and gospel principles and motives are 
but abused, -when they are applied to a legal way of 
salvation. 

7. The end which God aimed at in giving the law 
to Moses, was not, that any should ever attain to holi- 
ness or salvation, by the condition oi perfect or sincere 
obedience to it ; though, if there had been any such way 
of salvation at that time, it must have consisted in the 
performance of that law, which was then given to the 
church, to be a rule of life, as well as a covenant. There 
w as another covenant made before that time with Abra- 
ham, Isaac and Jacob, a covenant of grace, promising 
all blessings freely through Christ, the promised seed. 
And the covenant of the law was added, that they might 
see their sinfulness, and subjection to death and wrath, 
and the impossibility of attaining to life or holiness by 
their works, and be forced to trust on the free promise 
only for all their salvation, and that sin might be re- 
strained by the spirit of bondage, until the coming of 
that promised seed, Jesus Christ, and the more plenti- 
ful pouring out of the sanctifying Spirit^ by him^ This 
the apostle sheweth largely, Gal. iii« 15 — 24. Rom. v. 
20, 21. and x. 3, 4. None of the Israelites under the 
Old Testament were ever saved by the Sinai covenant.; 
neither did any of them ever attain to holiness by the 
terms of it* Some of them did, indeed, perform the 
commandments of it sincerely, though imperfectly: 
but those were first justified, and made partakers of 
life and holiness, by virtue of that better covenant made 
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which was the same, 
in substance, with the new covenant, or testament, 
established by the blood of Christ. Had it not beeri 
for that better covenant, the Sinai covenant would have 
proved to them an occasion of no happiness, but only 
of sin, despair and destruction. Of itself it was only 
a killing letter^ the ministratioii of death and condemna- 
lion: and therefore it is now abolished, 2 Cor^ iii* 6-— 1 U 

K 



122 THE GOSPEL IMYSTETIY 

We have great cause to praise God^ for delivering 
his church, by the blood of Christ, from this yoke of 
bondage ; and we have cause to abhor the device of 
those that would lay upon us now a more grievous and 
terrible }'oke, by turning our new covenant into a cove- 
nant of sincere works, and leaving us no such better 
covenant, as the Israelites bad under their yoke, to re- 
lieve us in our extremity. 



DIRECTION TIL 

We are not to iTnag-Ine that our hearts and lives must' be charg-otl 
from Sin to Holiness, in any measure, before we may safely ven- 
ture to trust on Christ for the sure enjoyment of himself, aiid liis 
salvation, 

EXPLICATION. 

We are naturally so prone to ground our salvation 
upon our own works, that if we cannot make thein pro^ 
curing' conditions and causes of our salvation by Christ, 
yet we shall endeavour at least to make them Jiccessary 
preparatives^ to fit us for receiving Christ and his sal- 
vation by faith. And men are easily persuaded, that 
this Is not at all contrary to salvation by free grace, 
because all that is hereby ascribed to our works, or 
good qualifications, is only, '^ That they put us in ^Jit 
posture to receive a free gift. If we were to go to a 
prince for a free gift, good manners, and due reverence, 
would teach us to trim ourselves first, and change our 
slovenly cloaths, as Joseph did, when he came out of 
the dungeon into the presence of Pharaoh. It seem - 
ipth to be an impudent slrghting and contemning the 
justice and holiness of God and Christ, and an insuf- 
ferable affront and indignity offered to the divine ]\Ia- 
jesty, when any dare presume to approach his presence 
in the nasty pickle of his sins, covered all over with 
putrifying sores, not at all closed, bound up, or cleans- 
ed 5 much more when they endeavour, to receive the 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 123 

Most Holy One, into such an abominable stinking ken- 
nel, as a sinner^s heart is, before it be at all reformed. 
The parable concerning the man that was to be bound 
hand and foot, and cast into utter darkness, for coming 
to the royal wedding, without a wedding garment, 
seemeth to be intended against all such presumption,'' 
Matth. xxii. 11, 13. Many that behold with terror, 
the abominable filth of their own hearts, are kept off 
from comiftg immediately to Christ, by such imagina- 
tions, which Satan strongly maintaineth and increaseth 
in them by his suggestions ; so that they can by no 
means be persuaded out of them, until God teacheth 
them inwardly, by the powerful operation of his Spirit. 
They delay the saving act of faith, because they think 
they are not yet duly qualified for it. On the same ac- 
count, many weak believers delay coming to the Lord's 
Supper, for many years together, even as long as they 
live in this world ; and would be as likely to delay their 
baptism, if they had not been baptized in their infancy* 
Against all such imaginations, I shall propose the fol- 
lowing considerations. 

1. This error is pernicious to the practice oi holiness^ 
and to our whole salvation^ in the same manner with 
that treated of in the foregoing Direction, and may be 
confuted by the same arguments which are there pro- 
duced. Whether holiness be made a procuring condi- 
tion of our salvation through Christ, or only a condition 
necessary to qualify us for the reception of Christ, we 
are equally brought under those legal terms, of doing 
. first the duties required in the law, that so we may live. 
Therefore, we are equally bereaved of the assistance of 
those means of holiness, mentioned in the foregoing 
directions, as union and fellowship v/ith Christ, and the 
enjoyment of all his sanctifying endowmt*:its. by faith,, 
which should go before the practice of holiness, that, 
they may enable us for it;; and we are equally kft to 
labour in vain for holiness^ while we are in our accursed 
natural state, whereby our sinful corruption will rather 
b^ ex;asperated th^n.mortifed^ sq that we shall ney^J^ 



124 TIIE GOSPEL SIYSl^RY 

be duly prepared for the reception of Christ, as long 
us we live in the world. Thus, while we endeavour 
to prepare our way to Christ, by holy qualifications, 
we do rather fill it with stumbling-blocks, and deep 
pits, whereby our souls are hindered from ever attain- 
ing to tke salvation by Christ. 

2. Any the least change of our hearts and lives from 
sin to holiness, before our receiving of Christ and his 
f^alvation by faith, is not at all necessary^ according to 
the terms of the gospel, nor required in the word of 
God, Christ would have the vilest sinners come to 
him for salvation immediately, without delaying the 
time to prepare thems-elves for him. When the wicked 
jailer inquired, what he must do to be saved? Paul 
directed him forthwith to believe on Christ, w^ith a pro- 
mise, that in so doing he shouhi be saved ; and straight- 
way, he and his were baptized^ Acts xvi. SO, Qto. Paul 
doth not tell him, that he must reform his heart and 
life first, though he w^as in a very nasty pickle at that 
time, having but a little before fastened Paul and Silas 
XKi the stocks, and newly attempted a horrid wilful 
' self-murder. Those three thousand Jews that were 
converted by Peter^s preaching, and added the same 
day to the church by baptism. Acts ii. 41. seemed to 
have as much need of some considerable time to pre- 
pare themselves for receiving Christ as others, because 
they had but lately polluted themselves v/ith the mur- 
der of Christ himself, ver. ^Z. Christ commands his 
servants to go out quickly into the streets and lanes of 
the city, and to bring in to his feast^ the poor, and the 
maimed, and the halt, and the blind ; yea, to go out into 
the highway, and to compel them Xo come in, w ithout 
allowing them to tarry until they had cleansed their 
sores, and shifted off their filthy rags, and swarms of 
lice. Mat. xxii. 10. Luke xiv. 23. Christ would have 
us to believe on him that justifieth the ungodly ; and 
therefore he doth not require us to be godly before 
we believe, Rom. iv. 5. He came as a physician for 
the sick, and doth not e>:pect that they sljiould rc» 



OP SANCTIFICATION. 1 25 

cover their health, in the least degree, before they 
come to him, Mat. ix. 12. The vilest simiers are fitly 
prepared and qualified for this design ; which is, to 
shew forth the exceeding riches of his grace, pardoning 
our sins, and saving us freely, Eph. ii. 5, 7. For this 
end the law of Moses entered that the ojfence might 
abound; that is,^' where sin abounded, grace might 
much more abound," Bom. v. 20. He loved us in our 
most loathsome sinful pollution, so a& to die for us ; and 
much more will he love us in it, sa as to receive us 
when we come to him for the purchased salvation. 
He hath given full satisfaction to the justice of God for 
sinners, that they might have all righteovisness and ho- 
liness, and all salvation only by fellowship with him 
through faith. Therefore, it is no affront to Christ, or 
slighting or contemning the justice and holiness qf God, 
to come to Christ, while we are polluted sinners ; but 
rather it is an affronting and contemning the saving 
grace, merit, and fulness of Christ, if we endeavour to 
make ourselves righteous and holy before we receive 
Christ himself, and all righteousness and holiness 'va 
him by faith. Christ loathed not to touch a leper, and 
condescended to wash the feet of his disciples, and did 
not expect that they should be washed and perfumed 
beforehand, as some great ones of the world are said 
to do, when they wash the feet of poor men, in imitatidn. 
of Christ. 

3. Those that receive Christ, with an unfeigned faith^ 
• shall never want a wedding garment to adorn them in 
the sight of God. Faith itself is vtvy precious in the 
sight of God, ^nd most holy^ 2 Pet. i. 2.. Jude, veT. 
20. God loveth it, because it giveth the glory of our 
salvation on the .free gr9.ce of God in Christ, Rom. iv. 
16; and renounceth ail dependence upon any condi- 
tions, that we can perform, to procure a right to Christ, 
©r to make ourselves acceptable to him. It containeth 
in it a hearty love to Christ as a Saviour, and a hun- 
gering and thirsting appetite for his salvation; and it- 
is the mouth whereby the soul feedeth hungi^ily upoE. 

K 2 



126 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

him. What wedding garment can sinners bring with 
them, more delightful than this to their bountiful God, 
whose great design is to manifest the abundant riches 
of his glorious grace and bounty in this wedding-feast i 
The Father himself loveth them, because they love 
Christ, and believe that he came out from God, John 
xiv. 27. But yet we see that the excellency of faith 
lieth in this, that it accounteth not itself, nor any other 
work of ours, a sufficient ornament to mi.ke us accept- 
able in the sight of God. It will not be our wedding 
garment itself, but itbuyeth of Christ, '*' v^hite raiment, 
that we may be clothed," and that *^ the shame of our 
nakedness may not appear," Rev. iii. 18. 'i'hough it 
loveth and desireth the free gift of holiness ; yet it 
abandons all thoughts of practising holiness immedi- 
ately, before we come to Christ for a holy nature. It 
puttCih on Christ himself, and in him all things that 
pertain to life and godliness. Thus every true believer 
is *-' clothed with the sun," Rev. xxii. 1. even with the 
6un of righteQVsness^ the I^ord Jesus; who is pleased 
to be hims^elf both our wedding garment and feast, and 
all our spiritual and eternal happiness. 

For more full satisfaction and consolation of those 
distressed souls, that lie under the terrible apprehen- 
sions of their own sinfulness, and the wrath of God, 
and dare not to venture to trust stedfastly on Christ for 
their salvation, until they can find in themselves some 
cii^nge fromt sin to holiness; I shall mention particu- 
larly j eve ral of these things that such would find in 
themfelves ; and I shall shew, that, if some of them be 
not partly comprehended in faith itself, they diV^ fruits 
tmd consequences of faith : and therefore they cannot be 
ratiionalry expected before we trust on Christ for our 
salvation. 

i. I'bey think k necessary' to repenthtiorc they be- 
lieve on Christ for their salvation, because repentance 
IS absolutely necessary to salvation, i*ake xiii. 3. **• Ex- 
cept ye repent ye shall all likewise perish ;" and Christ 
pl^geth the duty of repentance before faith, Mark i* 
i,;J,t '' r!':pti:^j <md bcliuve the gospel." I?iit we zvt 



OF SANCTiFICATION. 127 

to know, that Christ rcquireth repentance first as the 
end to be aimed at, and faith in the next place, as the 
only means of attaining to it^ and though the end be 
first in intention, yet the means are first in practice and 
execution, though both be absolutely necessary to sal- 
v^ailon. For, what is rep^^ntance, but a hearty turning 
from sin to God, and his service ? and vv hat way is 
there to turn to God, but through Christ, ^' who is the 
way, the truth, and the life ; without whom none com- 
eth to the Father ?" John xiv. 6 ; and what way is 
there of coming to Christ, but by faith ? Therefore, if 
we would turn to God in the right way, we must first 
come to Christ by faith, and faith must go before re- 
pentance, as the greatest instrument afforded us by the 
grace of God, for the effectual performance of it* Re- 
pentance is indeed a duty which sinners owe naturally 
to God ; but the great question is, how shall sinners be 
able to perform it ? Hiis question is solved only by 
^e gospel of Christ, repent and believe. The way to 
repent is to begin with believing. Therefore, the great 
doctrine of John, m his baptism of repentance, was, that 
they " should believe on him that should come aftei^ 
him," that is, on Christ Jesus, Acts xix. 4. 

2» Regeneration also is necessarj^^ to salvation, John iii. 
3 ; and therefore, many would find it wrought in them- 
selves before they trust on Christ for their salvation. 
But consider what regeneration is. It is a new beget- 
ting or creating us in Christ, 1 Cor. iv. 15. Eph. iii. 
10. in whom we are partakers of a divine nature, far 
diflferent from that which v/e received from the first 
Adam. Novr, faith is the uniting grace, whereby Christ 
dwelleth in us, and we in him, as hath been shewed ; 
and therefore it is the first grace Wrought in regenera- 
tion, and the means of all the rest : when you t u'y be- 
lieve, 3^ou are regenerated, and not till then. Those 
that receive Christ, by believing, and those only, are 
the " sons of God, which are born not of blood, nor of 
the will of the fleshy nor of the will of m:m, but of God/' 
John i. 12, 13, 



128 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

3. Tliey account it necessary to receive Christ, as 
their Lord and Lawgiver^ by a sincere resignation of 
themselves to his government, and a resolution to obey 
his law, before they receive him as their Saviour, This 
is one principal lesson of the new divinity, and such & 
receiving Christ, as Lord, is made to be the great act 
of saving faith : without which, such faith as I have de- 
scribed, whereby we trust on Christ for salvation is rec- 
koned no better than presuiliption. They teach, that 
Christ will not bestow his salvation on those that do not 
first yield their subjection to his kingly authority; but 
he calleth them his ene7nies^ because they would not 
that he should reign over them^ and requires that they 
be brought and slain before M^m, Luke xix. 27. I own 
It is, a certain truth, that Christ will save nothing but 
those that are brought to resign themselves sincerely 
to the obedience of his toyal authority and laws. But 
yet we must observe, that they are not brought to this 
holy resignation, or to any sincere purpose and resolu- 
tion of obedience, before they receive his salvation, but 
rather by receiving it. Men that were never thoroughly 
sensible of their natural death in sin, do easily bring 
themselves to resolve universal obedience to God, when 
they are on their death-beds, or in any imminent dan- 
ger, or when they would prepare themselves for the 
Lord's Supper, that so they may make their peace with 
God, and trust securely on Christ for his salvation^ 
But all resolutions of that kind are vain and hypocriti- 
cal, sooner broken than made. Those who know the 
plague of their own hearts, do find that their mind is 
enmity unto the law of God and Christ, and- cannot be 
subject unto it, Rom. viii. 7 ; and that they can as soon 
remove a mountain, as give up themselves sincerely to 
obedience, before they trust on Christ for his salvation, 
and for the gift of a new hearty whereby they may be 
enabled both to will and to do any thing that is accept- 
able to God. 

We should have been sufficiently obliged to ail obe- 
dient purposes, resolutions, and resignations, if Christ 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 129 

had never come into the world to save us : but he knew 
that we could perform nothing holily, except he made 
us first partakers of salvation, and that we shall never 
obey him as a Larugiver^ until we receive him as a *Sa- 
viour» He is a saving Lord ; trust on him first to save 
you from the guilt of power and sin, and dominion of 
Satan, and to give you a new spiritual disposition ; 
then, and not till then, the love of Christ will constrain 
you to resign yourself heartily to live to hhn that died 
for you^ 2 Cor. v. 14 ; and you will be able to say, with 
an unfeigned resolution, " O Lord, truly I am thy ser- 
vant, I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid ; 
thou hast loosed my bands," Psal. cxvi. 16. 

4. Itseemeth to them evident, that sovae good works 
are necessary, before we can trust on Christ safely for 
the forgiveness of sin ; because our Saviour teacheth us, 
that, if we forgive not men their trespasses, neither will 
our he?cvenly Father forgive our trespasses ; and direct- 
eth us to pray, ^' forgive our debts, as we forgive our 
debtors," Mat. vi. 12, 15. Restitution was also to be 
made of things wrongfully gotten from others, before 
the sacramental atonement was made by the trespass- 
offering. Lev. vi. 5, 7. I answer, this is sufficient to 
prove, that forgiving others, and restitution, according 
to our ability, or at least a sincere desire and purpose so 
to do, are very closely joined with the forgiveness of 
our sins, and are very necessary to fit us for prayer, and 
for sacramental applications of pardoning grace to our- 
selves. A lively faith cannot be without these fruits ; 
and therefore, we cannot pray, or partake of the sacra- 
ments, in faith, without them ; but yet, if we strive to 
do either of these before we trust on Christ for our par- 
don and salvation, we shall do them slavishly and hypo- 
critically, not in a holy acceptable manner. Our for- 
giving others will not be accompanied with any hearty 
love to them as to ourselves, for the sake of God ; and 
our restitution will be but a forced act, like Pharach^s 
letting the children of Israel go; or, like Judas* restor- 
ing the thirty pieces of silver, bcirg compelled there- 



ISO THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

unto by terror of spirit ; and when the terror that forced 
us is removed, we shall be as ready to recall our for- 
giveness, and to wrong others again, as Pharaoh was 
to bring the Israelites again into bondage, after he had 
let them go, Exod. xiv. 5. If you would forgive others 
heartily, so as to love them again, you must first, by 
faith in Christ, apprehend the love and mercy of God 
towards yourselves, and then you will be able, accord- 
ing to the apostle's instructions, t<5 ^' be kind, tender 
hearted) forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's 
sake, hath forgiven you," Eph. iv. 32. The readiness 
of Zaccheus to make restitution, followed upon a dis- 
covery of Christ's love to him ; and his joyfully receiv- 
ing Christ into his house, was fruit whereby he evi- 
denced the truth of that faith that was already wrought 
in his heart. 

5. I shall reckon up together several other qualifica' 
tions, that distressed souls would find in themselves, 
that they may be duly prepared to trust on Christ for 
their salvation ; and when they have laboured anxiously 
a long time, and cannot get them, at last they lie down 
in sorrowful despondence, not daring to apply the con- 
solations of the grace of God in Christ to their wounded 
consciences. I^et perplexed souls mark the particulars, 
and observe vf hether the condition of their own souls 
be reached in any of them. '' O thou afflicted, tossed 
with tempests, and not comforted," what good quaiifi- 
eations are they that thou w^ouldst have, that thou 
tnayest be encouraged to lay hold on Christ for salva- 
tion ! It is likely thou wilt answer, in the bitterness of 
thy soul: " O let me have first some love to God and 
godliness in mine heart, and freedom from mine hate- 
ful heart-risings against him and his service ! Let me 
have some good thoughts of God, his justice, mercy, 
and holiness, that I may be able to justify him, though 
he damn me ; and that I may not be filled with mur- 
muring and hellish blasphemies in my mind against 
him. Let the raging of my lust be abated, ai.d the 
stinking kennel of my wicked, heart a little cleiiijsed^ 



OF SANCTI^ICATION. 131 

Let mc have some holy reverential fear of God, and 
not only a panic tormenting horror. I would be more 
afl'ected with the wrath of God, and not be of a slight- 
ing heedless spirit. I would be more humbled for sin, 
loath it, and be ashamed of, and be sorry for it with 
a godly sorrow, not merely because of the punishment, 
but because it grieveth and vcxeth the Holy Spirit of 
God* I would be able to make a willing and ingenious 
confession of sin, and to pour out my soul to the liord 
in lively alTectionate prayer for forgiveness, and to 
praiGc and glorify him heartily, and not like a lifeless 
stone in the duty of prayer, as I am." Are these the 
things thou dcsirest, O poor distressed soul ? The best 
reply I can make for thy speedy comfort, is to inform 
thee, that the things are good, but thy desires are not 
v/ell-timed. It is unreasonable for thee to expect these 
holy qualifications, whilst thou art in thy natural state, 
under the guilt of sin, and th^^ apprehensions of the 
wrath of God, before thou hast received the atonement, 
and the new spiritual life that is by Christ, through 
faith in his name. Thou dost but exasperate thy cor- 
ruption, and harden thj^ heart, and make thy wounds 
to stink the more, because of thy foolishness. Such 
good qualifications are included in the nature of faith, 
und, for the most part, they follow after it ; so that they 
cannot possibly be obtained before thou trustest on 
Christ for thy salvation : as I shall shew concerning 
them particularly in their order. 

A love to the salvation of God, and to the free gift 
of holiness, is included in the nature of faith ; so that 
it cannot be hearty without it. Act faith first, and the 
apprehension of God's love to thy soul will sweetly al- 
lure and constrain thee to love God and his service uni- 
versally : " We love him, because he first loved us,'' 
1 Johniv. 19. We cannot be beforehand with God in 
love ; and we must perceive his love, to make us love 
him : for, if we look upon him as a God contraly to 
us, that hatcth us, and will damn us, our own innate 
seli4ove will breed hatred and heart-risings against 



132 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

him, in spite of our hearts. That love, which is the 
end of the law, must flow from " faith unfeigned," 1 
Tim. i. 5. And, if hatred work in thee more than 
love, how canst thou expect good thoughts of God, or 
any other than blaspheming, or, at least, murmuring 
thoughts of him, in this condition ? Ill-will never speak- 
eth or thinketh well. The first right holy thoughts 
thou canst have of God, are thovights of his grace and 
mercy to thy soul in Christ, which are included in the 
grace of faith. Get these thoughts first by believing in 
Christ, and they will breed in thee love to God, and 
all good thoughts of him, and free thee from blasphem- 
ous and murmuring thoughts by degrees ; for, ^* love 
thinks no evil," 1 Cor. xiii. 5. Then wilt thou be able 
to account God just and merciful, if he had damned 
thee^ and extended his grace to others ; and thou wilt 
be able to think well of his holiness, and of his decrees, 
which many cannot endure to hear of. 

The v/ay to get rid of raging lusts ^ is hy faith ^ that 
^^ purifieth the heart, and worketh by love," Acts xv. 
9. Gal. V. 6. ^rhe soul must be brought to take plea- 
sure in God and Christ by faith, or else it will lust after 
fleshly and worldly pleasures. And the more you striv^e 
against lusts without faith, the more they are stirred 
up, though you prevail so far as to restrain the fulfilling 
of them. Beg a holy fear of God, with fear of coming 
short of the promised rest through unbeliefs Heb. iv. 1. 
Such a fear is an ingredient of faith, and it will breed 
in us a reverential, yea, a child-like fear of God and 
his goodness ; Heb. xii. 28. Hosea iii. 5. " We must 
have grace, whereby we may serve God with rever- 
ence." It is in the margin, " we must have, or hold 
fgist grace." And there is no other way to holdfast 
grace^ but by faith ; and this will quickly calm all panic 
and tormenting horror. 

And if you would be free from carelessness^ and slight- 
ing the wrath ofGod^ your way is, first, by believing, to 
avoid despairing : for people grow careless by despair- 
ing ; and for their own quiet, they will endeavour to 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 133 

slight evils which they have no hope to prevent ; ac- 
cording to the proverb, *' let us eat and drink ; fur to- 
morrow we die," 1 Cor. xv. 32. True humiliation for 
sin, is either a part or fruit of faith ; for, on our believ- 
ing, " we shall remember our own evil v/ays and doings, 
that were not good, and shall loath ourselves in our 
own sight, for all our abominations," Ezek. xxxvi. 31. 
We shall then willingly renounce our own righteousness, 
and " account it but dung, that we may win Christ" 
by faith, Phil. iii. 7, 8. But beggars will make the 
most of all their nasty rags, till they be furnished with 
better cloaths ; and cripples will not cast away their 
crutches, until they have a better support to lean on. 
Godly sorrow for sin is wrought by believing the par- 
doning grace of God ; as it is found by experience, that 
a pardon from a prince will sometimes sooner draw tears 
from a stubborn malefactor, than the fear of a halter 
will. Thus the sinful woman was brought to wash 
Christ's feet with her tears, Luke vii. 35", 38. We are 
not like to be sorry for grieving God with our sins, 
while we look upon him as an enemy, that will ease 
himself well enough of his burden, and right himself 
upon us, by our everlasting destruction. 

The belief of God's pardoning and accepting grace, 
is a necessary means to bring us to an ingenuous confes- 
sion of sins* The people freely confessed their sins^ 
when they were baptized of John in Jordan, " for the 
remission of sins," Mark i. 4, 5. The confession of 
despairers is forced, like the extorted confessions and 
<:ryings out of malefactors upon the rack. A pardon 
sooner openeth the mouth of an ingenuous confession, 
than, confess^ and be hanged ; or, confess^ and be damned. 
Therefore, if we would freely confess our sins, believe 
€rst, that " God is faithful and just to forgive your 
sins" through Christ, 1 John i. 9. And, if you pray to 
<iod, or praise him with lively affections, you must first 
believe that God will hear you, and give you what is 
test for Christ's sake, John xvi. 23, 24. otherwise your 
praying will be only from the teeth outward ; for, " how 

L 



134 THE GOSPEL ^lYS^lERY 

shall they call on him whom they have not believed :'* 
Rom* X. 14. You must first come to Christ, the altary 
by faith, that by him^ you may ^' offer the sacrifice of 
praise to God continually," Heb, xiii. 10, 15. 

Finally, To pass from particulars, to the general as- 
sertion laid down in the Direction; if you ask, what 
shall xve do^ that tve may work the zuorks of God^ or get 
any saving qualifications? I muijt direct you. first to 
faith^ as the work ofworks^ and the great saving prepa- 
ratory to all good qualifications, by answering in our 
Saviour's words, " this is the work of God, that ye be- 
lieve on him whom he hath sent," John vi. 28, "29. 



DIRECTION Till. 

Be sure to seek for holiness of heart and life only in its clue order, 
where God hath placed it, after union with Christ, jiHslificatiGn, 
and the gift of the Haiy Ghost ; and, in that order, seek it ear- 
nestly by faith, as a very necessary part of your salvation. 

EXPLICxVnON. 

I HOPE the reader will observe warily in all these Di- 
rections, that xh<d holiness aimed at, as the great end in 
the whole discourse, consisteth not in the^T^c^ or act of 
faith, required peculiarly by the gospel ; which, though 
il; be a saving gift of Christ, yet is here considered ra- 
ther as a means precedent to the reception oi Christy 
and all his salvation, than a part of his salvation receiv- 
ed. But the holiness aimed at, consisteth in conformity 
to the ivhole moral law ^ to which we are naturally oblig- 
ed, if there had never been any gospel, or any such 
duty as believing in Ciirist for salvation. 

Now, in this Direction, three things are contained 
that are very necessary to guide us to the attainment of 
this great end ; and therefore w^orthy of our serious con- 
sideration. 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 135 

1. It is a matter of high concern, *^ to be acquainted 
with the due place and order wherein God hath settled 
this holy practice in the mystery of our salvation ; and 
a great point of christian, wisdom to seek it only in that 
order." We know that God is the God of order ^ and 
that his infinite wisdom hath appeared, in appointing- 
the order of his creatures, v/hich we are forced to ob- 
serve for the attainment of our ends in worldly things ; 
so also in spiritual things : " God hath made an ever- 
lasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure," 2 
Sam., xxiii, 5.. The benefits of it have an orderly de- 
pendance upon each other, as links of the same golden 
chain, though several of them^ and a title to them all, 
are given, to us at one and the same time. And I think 
enough hath, been said already, to shew in what order 
God brings- us to the practice of the moral law* He 
maketh us first to be " in Christ by faith, as branches 
m the vine," that we may ^' bring forth much fruit," 
John XV. 4, 5. He first ^^^ purgeth our consciences from 
dead works" by justification, " that we may serve the 
living God," Heb. x. 14. He maketh us first to " live 
in the Spirit," and th^i to '^ walk in the Spirit," Gal. 
V. 25. This is the order prescribed in the gospel, which 
'is the power of God unto salvation ; though the law pre- 
scribeth the quite contrary method, that we should first 
perform its commands, that so we may be justified and 
live ; and thereby it proveth a killing letter to us. Now, 
mark v/ell the great advantages you have from the at- 
tainment of holiness, by seeking it in a right gospel 
order. You will have the advantage of the love of God 
manifested towards you, in forgiving your sins, receiv- 
ing you into favour, and giving you the spirit of adop- 
tion, and the hope of his glory, freely, through Christy 
to persuade and constrain you, by sweet allurements, 
to love God again, who halh so dearty loved you, and 
to love others for his sake, and to give up yourselves to 
the obedience of all his commands out of hearty lovi^ 
to him; you vv^ill also enjoy the help cf the Spirit of 
God, to incline you powerfully unto obedience, and to 



186 TIIE GOSPEL MYSIERY 

strengthen you for the performance of it agahist all 
your corruptions, and the temptations of Satan ; so that 
you will have both wind and tide to forward your voyage 
in the practice of holiness. Contrariwise, if you rush 
upon the immediate performance of the law, without 
taking Christ's righteousness and spirit in the way to 
it, you will find both v/ind and tide against you: your 
guilty consciences, and corrupt dead natures, will cer- 
tainly defeat and frustrate all your enterprising attempts 
to love God, and serve him in love, and you will but 
stir up sinful lusts instead of stirring up yourself to true 
•obedience ; or at best, you will but obtain to some slav- 
ish and hypocritical performances. Oh! that people 
^y'ould be persuaded to consider the due place of holi- 
aess in the mystery of salvation, and to seek it only 
diere where they have all the advantages of gospel-grace 
to find it. Many miscarry in their zealous enterprises 
for godliness ; and, after they have spent much labour 
in vain, God maketh a breach upon them, even to their 
everlasting destruction, as he did upon Uzza, to a tem- 
poral destruction ; " because they sought him not after 
the due order," 1 Chron. xiii. 10. 

2. We are to look upon " holiness as a very necessaiy 
part of that salvation that is received by faith in Christ.^^ 
Some are so drenched in a covenant of works, that they 
accuse us for making good works needless to salvation^ 
if we will not acknowledge them to be necessary, either 
as conditions to procure an interest in Christ, or as pre- 
paratives to fit us for receiving him by faith. And others, 
when they are taught by the scriptures, that we are 
saved by faith^ through fatth^ ivithoiit works ^ do begin 
to disregard all obedience to the law, as not at all ne- 
cessary to salvation, and do account themselves obliged 
to it only in point of gratitude ; if it be wholly neglect- 
ed, they doubt not but free grace will save them harm- 
less. Yea, some are given up to strong antinomian 
delusions, that they account it a part of the liberty from 
the bondage of the law, purchased by the blood of 
Christ, to make no conscience of breakmg the law in 
their conversation* 



OF SA^CTIFICATION. 137 

One cause of these errors, that are so contrary one to 
the other, is, that many are prone to imagine nothing 
else to be meant by salvation, but to be delivered from 
hell, and to enjoy heavenly happiness and glory: Hence 
they conclude that, if good works be a means of glorifi- 
cation, and precedent to it, they must also be a prece- 
dent means of our whole salvation ; and that, if they 
be not a necessary means of our own salvation, they 
are not at all necessary to glorification. But though 
salvation be often taken in scripture, by way of eminen- 
cy, for its perfection in the state of heavenly glory, yet, 
according to its full and proper signification, we are to 
understand by it, all that freedom from the evil of our 
natural corrupt state, and all those holy and happy en- 
joyments that we receive from Christ our Saviour, cither 
in this world by faith^ or in the world to come by glo- 
rification,. Thus justification^ the gift of the Spirit to 
dwell in us, the privileges of adoption, are parts of our 
salvation, which we partake of in this life. Thus also, 
the conformity of our hearts to the law of God, and the 
*' fruits of righteousness with which, we are filled by 
Jesus Christ,'^ in this life,. are a necessary part of our 
salvation. God saveth us from our sinful micleanness 
here, by ^' the washing of regeneration, and renewing of 
the Holy Ghost," as well as from hell hereafter, Ezek. 
xxxvi. 29. Tit. iii. 5. Christ was called Jesus, that 
is, a Saviour^ because " he saved his people from their 
sins," Mat. i. 21. . Therefore it is a part of our salva- 
tion, to deliver us from our sins ; which is begun, in > 
this life, by justification and sanctification, and perfect- 
ed by glorification in the life to come. Can we ration- 
ally doubt, whether it be any proper part of our salva- 
tion by Christ, to be quickened, to live to God, when 
we were by nature dead in trespasses and sins ; and to 
have the image of God in holiness and righteousness 
restored to us, which we lost by the fall ; and to be freed 
from a vile dishonourable slavery to Satan and our own 
lusts, and made the servants of God ; and to be honour- 
ed so highly, as to walk by the Spirit, and bring forth 

L2 



138 THE GOSPEL MTSTERY 

the fruits of the Spirit ? and what is all this but holinci^:^. 
in heart and life ? Conclude we then, that holiness iu 
this life is absolutely necessary to salvation, not only as 
a means to the end, but by a nobler kind of necessit}',. 
as part of the end itself. Though we are not saved 
by good works, as procuring causes, ytt we are saved 
to good works, as fruits and effects of saving grace ; 
" which God hath prepared that we should walk in 
them," Eph. ii. 10. It is, indeed, one part of our sal- 
vation, to be delivered from the bondage of the covenant 
of works ; but the end of this is, not that we may ha\ #^ 
liberty to sin (which is the worst of slavery) but that 
we may fulfil the royal law of liberty, and that we may 
" serve him, in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness 
of the letter," Gal. v. 13. Rom., vii. 6. Yea, holiness 
in this life is such a part of our salvation, as is a neces- 
sary means to make us " meet to be partakers of the 
inheritance of the saints in heavenly light and glory ; 
without holiness we can never see God," lleb. xii. 14 1 
and, are as unfit for the glorious presence, as swine for 
the presence-chamber of an earthly prince. I confess^ 
some may be converted, when they are so near the point 
of death, that they may have little time to practise ho- 
liness in this world : but the grace of the Spirit is ac- 
tive like fire, Mat. iii. 11 ; and, as soon as it is given, 
it will immediately produce good inward working of 
love to God, and Christ, and his people, which will be 
sufficient to manifest the righteous judgment of God in 
saving them at the great day, when he shall judge every 
Inan according to his work ; though some possibly may 
iiot have so much time to discover their inward grace 
in any outward works, as the thief upon the cross, 
Luke xxiii. 40,43. 

The third and last thing to be noted in this direction^ 
is, *^ that holiness of heart and life is to be sought for 
earnestly by faith ^ as a very necessary part of our sal- 
vation." Great multitudes of ignorant people, that live 
under the gospel, harden their hearts in sin, and ruin 
their souls for ever^ by trusting on Christ for. such an 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 139 

knaginLuy salvation, as consisteth not at all in holiness,, 
but only in forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from 
everlasting torments. They v/ould be free from the 
punishment due to sin ; but they love their lusts so well, 
that they hate holiness^ and would not be saved from 
the service of sin. The way to oppose this pernicious 
delusion is, not to deny, as some do, that trusting on 
Christ for salvation is a saving act of faith ; but rather 
to shew, that none do or can trust on Christ for true sal- 
vation, except they trust on him for holiness : neither 
do they heartily desire true salvation, if they do not de- 
sire to be made holy and righteous in their hearts and 
lives. If ever God and Christ give you salvation, holi- 
ness will be one part of it; if Christ 7x;a^A yoic not from 
the filth of your sins, " you have no part with him,'' 
John xiii. 8. 

What a strange kiird of salvation do they desire, that 
care not for holiness ! They would be saved, and yet 
be altogether dead in sin, aliens from the life of God, 
bereft of the image of God, deformed by the image of 
Satan', h\^ slaves and vassals to their own filthy lusts^ 
utterly unmeet for the enjoyment of God in glory. Such 
a salvation as that was never purchased by the blood of 
Christ; and those that seek it abttse the grace of God in 
Christ, and tr^m it into lascimousness. They would be 
saved by Christ, and yet out of Christ, in a fleshly state ; 
whereas God doth free none from condemnation, but 
tliose that are in Christy who walk not after the fleshy but 
after the Spirit ; or else they would divide Christ, and 
take a part of his salvation, and leave out the rest ; but, 
'' Christ is not divided," 1 Cor. i. 13. They would 
have their sins forgiven, not that they may walk with 
God in love in time to come, but that they may practise 
their enmity against him, without any fear of punish- 
ment. But, let them not be deceived., God is not mocked^. 
They understand not w^hat true salvation is, neither 
were they ever yet thoroughly sensible of their lost 
estate, and of the great evil of sin ; and that v/hich they 
mist on Christ for, is but an imagination of their ovfn 



140 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

brains : and therefore their trusting is gross presump- 
tion* True gospel faith maketh us come to Christ with 
a thirsty appetite^ that v/e may " drink of living water," 
even of the sanctifying Spirit, John vii. 37^ 38 ; and to 
cry out earnestly to save us, not only from hell, but from 
sin ; saying, ^' teach us to do thy will ; thy Spirit is 
good," Psalm cxiiii* 10; '' turn ihou me, and I shall 
be turned," Jer. xxxi. 18 ; ^^ create in me a clean hearty 
O God ; and renev/ a right spirit within me," Psalm li. 
10. This is the way whereby the doctrine of salvation 
by grace doth necessitate us to holiness of life, by con- 
straining us to seek for it by faith in Christ, as a sub- 
stantial part of that salvation which is freely given us 
through Christ. 



DIKECTION IX. 

We must first receive the comforts of the Gospel, that we may be- 
able to perform sincerely the duties of the Law. 

EXPLICATION. 

Since man (til from obedience to God, which he 
was enabled and engaged to perform by the comforts 
of his first happy state in paradise, God might have 
justly refused ever to give man again any comforts be- 
forehand,, to encourage him to his duty; that the way 
to holiness being hedged up against him with the thorns 
and briars of fear, grief and despair, he might never be 
able to escape the sentence of death which was denounc- 
ed against the first transgression. This justice of God 
is manifest in the method of the legal covenant, where- 
in God promiseth us no life, comfort or happiness, un- 
til we have thoroughly performed his law; and may be 
seen in the mount Sinai promulgation, explicated. Lev* 
xxxvi. throughout. And w^e are by nature so strongly 
addicted to this legal method of salvation^ that it is a 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 141 

hard matter to dissuade those that live under the light 
of the gospel, from placing the duties of the law before 
the comforts of the gospeU If they cannot make sal- 
vation Itself, yet they will be sure to make all the com- 
forts of it, to depend upon their own works. They 
think it as unreasonable to expect comfort before duty, 
as wages before work, or the fruits of the earth, before 
the husbandman's labour, 2 Tim. ii. 6. They account 
the only effectual way to secure the obedience we owe 
to the law of God, is to ground all our comforts on 
the performance of it ; and that the contrary doctrine 
strengthens the hands of the wicked, " by prophesying 
peace to them, where there is no peace,'' Ezek. xiii. 
i G, 22 ; and openeth the flood-gates to all licentiousness. 
Therefore, some preachers will advise men not to be 
solicitous and hasty of getting comfort, but that they 
should rather exercise themselves diligently to the per- 
formance of their duty ; and they tell them, that in so 
doing, their condition v/ill be safe and happy at last ; 
though they never enjoy any comfort of their salvation, 
as long as they live in this world. 

That you may rightly understand what I have assert- 
ed the Direction against such vulgar errors, taking no- 
tice, that I do not make the only place of gospel-com- 
fort to be before the duties of the law. I acknowledge, 
that God " comforteth his people on every side," PsaL 
Ixxi. 21. both before and also after the performance of 
their duty j and that the greatest consolations do follow 
after duty ; yet some comforts God giveth to his peo- 
ple beforehand, as advance-money, to furnish them for 
his service, though most of the pay comes in afterward. 
Neither do I hereby speak any peace to those that COU'-^ 
ihiue in their sinful natural state : for the comforts I 
speak of, cannot be received without rejecting those 
false confidences whereby natural men harden them- 
selves in sin ; nor without that effectual working of the 
Spirit, whereby we are made good trees, that we may 
bring forth good fruit. Though they are given before 
t^ic sincere practice of the lav/ ; yet they are not given 



142 THE GOSPEL MYS11ERY 

to us in our corrupt sinful nature, but in and with tl\^ 
new holy nature ; which immediately produceth a holy 
practice, though it must necessarily go before, as the 
cause before the effect ; and they are no other than com- 
forts of those spiritual benefits by which our new state 
and nature is produced, and of which it is constituted 
and made up; as the comforts of redemption, justifica- 
tion, adoption, the gift of the Spirit, and the like. Nei- 
ther do I intend here any transport or ravishment of joy 
and delight ; but only such manner of comfort, as ration- 
ally strengthens, in some measure, against the oppres- 
sion of fear, grief and despair, which we are liable unto^ 
by reason of our natural sinfulness and misery. 

This explanation of the sense of my assertion, is suf- 
ficient to answer some coanmon objections against it.. 
And I hope the truth of it Vt^ill be fully evidenced by the 
following arguments. 

1. This truth is a clear c^;2^6'Cf art/ from those prin^ 
ciples of holiness that have been alr^dy confirmed. I 
Iiave shewed, that we must have a good persuasion of 
our reconciliation w ith God, and of our happiness in 
heaven, and of our sufficient strength, both to will and 
to do that which is acceptable to God,, through Jesus 
Christ, that we may be rationally inclined and bent to 
the practice of holiness : and that these endowments 
must be had, by receiving Christ himself,. with his Spi- 
rit, and all his fulness, by trusting on him for all his sal- 
vation, as he is freely promised to us in the gospel ; and 
that by this faith we do as really receive Christ, as our 
food by eating and drinking*. Now, let right reason 
judge ; can we be persuaded of the love of God, of our 
everlasting happiness, and our strength to serve God, 
and yet be withoiit any comfort ? Can the glad tidings 
of the gospel of peace be believed, and Christ and his 
Spirit actually received into the heart, v*slthout any relief 
to the soul from oppressing fear, grief and despair? 
Can the salvation of Christ be comfortless, or the bread 
and water of life without any sweet relish, to those that 
feed oa himj, with hungering and thir&ting appetites ? 



QT SANCTIFICATION. 143 

feod V/ill not give such benefits as these to those that 
do not desire and esteem them above the world. And 
Certainly the very receiving of them will be comfortable 
to such, except they receive them blindfold, which they 
cannot do, when the very giving and bestowing them, 
openrth tht^ eyes of a sinner, and turns him from dark- 
ness to light, whereby he doth, at least in some measure, 
see and perceive spiritually the things that concern his 
present and future peace, and reap some encouraging 
and strengthening comfort thereby to the practice of 
holiness* 

2. Peace, joy, hope, are recommended to us in scrip- 
ture, as the spring of other holy duties ; and fear and 
oppressing grief forbidden, as hinderances to true reli- 
gion : ^' The peace of God keepeth our hearts and minds 
through Jesus Christ,^' Phil. iv. 7* ^*' 1&e not sorry; 
for the joy of the liOrd is your strength," iVeh, viii. 
10. ^^ Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth 
himself, even as he ispvire," 1 John iii. 3. '^ Fear not 
torment: he that feareth is not made perfect in love,'^ 
1 John iv. 18. This is the, reason why the apostle 
douWeth the exhortatioi^ to " rejoice in the Lord al- 
way," as a dlity of exceeding weight and necessity, Phil, 
iv. 4. What are such duties, but comfort itself^ And 
can we think that these duties are necessary to our con- 
tinuance in a holy practice, and yet not to the beginning 
of it, where the Work is most difficult, and encourage- 
ment most needful. Therefore we must make haste, 
in the first place, to get a comfortable frame of spirit, 
if we would moAe haste^ and not delay ^ io keep God^^ 
holy commandments. 

3. The usual method of gospel doctrine, as it is de- 
Hv'ered to us in the holy scriptures, is, first, to comfort 
cur hearts^ and thereby to " esta-blish us in every good 
word and work,^' 2 Thess. ii- 17. And it appears how 
clearly this method is adjusted in several epistles, writ- 
ten by the apostles, v/herein they first acquaint the, 
churches with the rich grace of God towards thcia in 
Christ, and thespiritual blessings whicli they are made 



144 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

partakers of, for their strong consolation : and they ex- 
hort them to a holy conversation, answerable to such 
privileges : and is not only the method of whole epis- 
tles, but oi many particular exhortations to duty, where- 
in the comfortable benefits of the grace of God in 
Christ, are made use of as arguments and motives to 
stir up the saints to a holy practice : which comfortable 
benefits must first be beliered, and the comfort of them 
applied to our own souls, or else they will not be forci- 
ble to engage us to the practice for which they are in- 
tended. To give you a few instances, out of a multi- 
tude that might be alleged, we are exhorted to practise 
holy duties, because " we are dead to sin, and alive to 
God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,'' Rom, vi. 11 ; 
and because ^' sin shall not have dominion over us ; for 
we are not under the law, but under grace," Rom. vi. 
14 ; because " we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit ; 
and God will quicken our mortal bodies, by his Spirit 
dv/elling in us," Rom. viii. 9 — 12 ; because " our bo- 
dies are the members of Christ, and the temples of the 
Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. vi. 15, 16; because '' God hath 
made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we 
might be made the righteousness of God. in him," 2 
Cor. V. 21 ; and hath promised, that he " will dwell in 
us, and v/alk in us, and be to us a Father, and we shall 
be to him sons and daughters," 2 Cor. vi. 8. with chap, 
vii. 1 ; because ^^ God hath forgiven us for Christ's 
sake; and accounteth us his dear children; and Christ 
hath loved us, and given himself for us ; and we that 
were sometimes darkness, are now light in the Lord," 
Eph. iv. 32. and v. 1, 2, 8 ; because "we are risen with 
Christ ; and when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, 
then shall we also appear with him in glory," Col. iii. 
1, 4 ; because God hath said, " I will never leave thee, 
nor forsake thee," Heb. xiii. 5 ; because of " the many 
promises made to us," 2 Cor. vii. 1. Search the scrip- 
tures, and you may^ w^ith delight, see that this is the 
vein that rv .meth through the gospel exhortations, and 
you may f nd the like vein of comfort running through 
the propletical exhortations in the Old Testament. 



OF SANCTIFIGA flON. 14S 

Some may object, " that the apostles used this me* 
ihod, m their writings to saints who had practised holi- 
ness already, that so they might continue and increase 
therein," But to that I may easily reply, if it be a 
method needful for grown saints, much more for be- 
ginners, that find the work of obedience most difficult, 
and have most need of strong consolation. And I hope 
to shew, how we may be able to lay hold of these con- 
solations by faith, in the very first beginning of a holy 
life. Besides, the gospel proposeth peace and com- 
fort freely to those that are not yet brought to holiness, 
that, if they have hearts to receive it, they may be con- 
X^crted from sin to righteousness. When the apostles 
entered into a house, they were first to say, '^ peace be 
to this house," Luke x* 5. At their vexy first preach- 
ing to sinners, they ^acquainted them with " the giacl 
tidings of salvation by Christ," for all that \vould re- 
ceive it as a free gift by faith, Acts iii. 26, xiii. 26, 32, 
»18. xvi. 30, 51. They assured them, if they would 
but trust heartily on Christ, for all his salvation, they 
should have it, akhoiigh they were at present, the chief 
of sinners; v/hichwas comfort sufficient for all that duly 
esteem spiritual comfort, hungering and thirsting after 
it. And this is a method agreeable to the design of the 
gospel, which is, to advance the riches of the grace of 
Ood in all -our spiritual enjoyments. God will give us 
his consolations before our good works, as well as after 
them, that ^' we may know, th«at he giveth us everlast- 
ing consolations, and good hope through grace," and not 
through the procurement of our v/orks, 2 Thess. ii. 16. 

4. The nature of the duties of the law requireth a 
comfortable state of the •fcoul for the performance of 
them. I have before i>roved sufficiently, that they re- 
quire a persuasion of our reconciliation with God, and 
of our future happiness, and strength whereby we may 
be able to walk in holy obedience : Joshua must be 
strong and very courageous, that he might observe to 
do according to the law that Moses, the servant of the 
Jiord,. commanded him, Josh. i. 7. I shall instance 

M 



146 THE GOSPEL MYSTfERY 

briefly in the comforts^ without which, several great 
duties cannot be sincerely performed. Can we love 
God, and delight in him above all, while we look upon 
him as our everlasting enemy, and apprehend no love 
and mercy in him towards us, that may render him a 
vsuitable good for us, and lovely in our eyes ? Y* hat 
doleful melody will the heart make in the duty of praise, 
if we account, that all those perfections, for which we 
praise him, will rather aggravate our misery, tlum make 
us happy? What a heartless work will it be to pray 
.to him, and to oifer up ourselves to his service, if vv^e 
have no comfortable hope that he will accept of us ? Is 
it possible for us to free ourselves from carking cares, 
by casting our care upon the Lord, if v/e do not fippre- 
hend he careth for us ? Can w.e be patieiit in affilctiori, 
with cheerfulness, and under persecutions, except >^ Vv'e 
have peace with God, and rejoice in hope of the gloiy 
of God ?" Rom. v. 1,2, 3. AVhat reason can persuade 
us to submit willingly, according to our duty, to the 
stroke of present death, if God be pleased to lay it upon 
us, when we have no comforts to relieve us against the 
horrible fear of intolerable torments af hell for ever ? 

If we should be called to suffer martyrdom for the 
protestant religion, as our ancestors in Kngland have 
done, we should find it necessary to abandon the la.te 
upstart notions that have been bred in a time of ease, 
and to embrace the comfortable doctrine of former pro- 
testants, which, through the grace of God, made so 
many courageous and joyful mart} rs. 

5.* The state of those that are to be brought from sin 
to godliness, requires necessarily, thiitaller they be con- 
vinced of the vanity of the i;: former false confidences, 
-and of their deaclness in original sin, and subjection to 
the wrath of God, they should have a supply of ncxv 
gospel comforts afforded \,o encourage their fainting souls 
to holy practices. JIow little do many physicians of 
souls consider the condition of their unconverted pa- 
tients, that are altogeth-r without spiritual life or 
strength, and are or must be convinced thereof.^ lie 



OF SANC riFICATION. 147 

that prescrlbcth bodily exercise to a man lying bed- 
ridden under a dead palsy, before any effectual means 
may be used to strengthen him, deserveth the name of 
a merciless insulting tormentor, rather than a wise and 
tender-hearted physician. How unreasonable is it to 
prescribe the immediate practice of love to God, and 
universal obedience to him out of love, as the means of 
cure for those that see nothing but wrath and enmity 
in God towards them in their present condition ? What 
is it but to require a man to work without strength, 
promising him, that he shall have strength when his 
work is done ? for comfort or joy is so called, because 
it '^ strengtheneth," Keh. viii. 10. True it is, that the 
law, which is the ministration of condemnation^ obligetb 
them to obedience, but our merciful God expecteth no 
sincere performance of his law, from such im*potent 
miserable wretches, in order to their salvation by Christ, 
till he hath first delivered them, in some measure, from 
those discomforts, slavish fears, and despondences, 
that hold them captive under the law of sin and death. 
We may require a strong healthy person, first to work, 
and then to expect meat, drink and wages ; but a faint- 
ing, famished person, must first have food, or a reviv- 
ing cordial, to strengthen his heart, before he can work. 
6. Both scripture and experience shew, that this is 
the method whereby God bringeth his people from sin 
to holiness. I'hough some of them are brought under 
terrors for a while, that sin may be the more imbitter- 
ed, and the salvation of Christ rendered more precious 
and acceptable to them ; yet such are again delivered 
from their terrors by the comforts of God's salvation, 
that they may be fitted for holiness. And, generail)-, 
a holy life beginneth with comfort, and is maintained 
by it. God gave to Adam, at his first creation, the 
comfort of his love and favour, and the happiness of 
paradise, to encourage him to obedience ; and when he 
had lost these comforts, by the fall, he was no longer 
able to obey, until he was restored by new comfort of 
the promised seed. Christ, the second Adam, set '^ God 



148 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

always before hi^ face ;'^ and he knew, that, because 
** God was at his right hand, he should not be moved ;" 
therefore *•' his heart was glad, and his glory rejoiced," 
Psal. xvi, 8, 9. This made him willing to bear his agony, 
and bloody sweat, and to " be obedient unto death, even 
the death of the cross." God drew the Israelites to 
obedience, with " the cords of a man, wdth the bands 
of love, by taking off the yoke on their jaws, and layings 
meat before them," Hosea xi. 4. David telleth us, for 
pur instruction, how he was brought to a holy conver- 
sation : " Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes ; and 
I have walked in thy truth," Psal. xxvi, 3 ; '* Lord, I 
haye hoped for thy salvation, and done thy command- 
ments," Psai. cxix. 166. We have several examples 
jn the New Testament of the joy that sinners had in the 
first receiving of Christ, Acts ii. 41. And, when the 
gospel first came to the Thessalonians, ^* they received 
the word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Ghost," 
1 Thess. i. 4, 5, 6. " When the Gentiles heard the 
word of God, they were glad ; and as many as were or- 
dained to eternal life, believed," Acts xiii. 48. The 
apostle Paul was constrained, by " the love of Christ" 
to give up hinaself to " live to Christ," 2 Cor.^ v. 14, 
J 5. I dare appeal to the experience of any that obey 
God out of hearty love. Let them examine themselves, 
Cind consider, whether they were brought to give up 
themselves to serve God in love, without comfortable 
apprehensions of the love of God towards them ? I dare 
say, there are no such prodigies in the new birth. 

7* What comfortless religion do those make that al- 
low people no comfort beforehand, to strengthen them 
for holy performances, which are very cross, displeas- 
ing and grievous to their natural inclinations, as the 
plucking out a right eye, cutting off a right hand ; but 
would have them first to do such things with love and 
delight, under all their present fears, despondences, 
and corrupt inclinations, and to hope, that by doing the 
work thoroughly and sincerely, they shall at last attain 
to a more comfortable state ? All true spiritual com* 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 149 

fort, as well as salvation, is indeed quite banished out 
of the world, if it be suspended upon the condition of 
our good works : which hath already appeared to be the 
condition of the laxv that worketh no comfort but xvrath^ 
Rom. iv. 14, 15. This makes the way of godliness 
odious to many. They think they shall never enjoy a 
pleasant hour in this world, if they walk in them ; and 
they had rather comfort themselves with sinful plea- 
sure than have no comfort at all. 

Others labour awhile in such a comfortless religion, 
with inward fretting and repining at the bondage of it, 
and at last grow weary, and throw off all religion, be- 
cause they know no better. They that bind such heavy 
burdens upon men, and grievous to be borne, will plead, 
that they are not to be blamed, because they do not 
preach the gospel of God and Christ ; whereas, indeed, 
they preach a gospel of man's own forging^ contrary 
to the nature of the true gospel of Christ, which is '^ glad 
tidings of great joy to all people," Luke ii. 10. An 
uncomfortable gospel cannot proceed from God ihe Fa- 
ther, who is the " Father of mercies," and the '' God 
of all comfort," 2 Cor. i. 3; nor from Christ, who is 
" the consolation of Israel," Luke ii. 25 ; nor from the 
Spirit, who is " the comforter," John xiv. 16, 17. God 
^^ meeteth him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteous- 
ness," fsa. Ixiv. 5. He will be served with gladness 
^md singing; as he shewed by the type of variety of 
music, and great numbers of musicians m the temple, 
as Christ speaks to us by his gospel, that ^' his joy may 
abide in us," and that " our joy may be full," John xv. 
11. No sorrow is approved of by God, cxct-pt go d/y 
sorrow^ which can never be in us widiout some comfort: 
of the love of God towards us. They that are offended at 
the uncomfortablencss of a religious life, never yet knev/ 
the true way of religion ; else they would find, that 
*^ the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all. 
her paths are peace," Prov. iii, 17. 



tSO THE GOSPEL MTTSTEKir 



DIRECTION X. 

That we may be prepared by the comforts of the gospel to perforin 

sincerely the duties of the law, we must get some assurance of 

our salvation, in that very faith whereby Christ himself is receiv- 

- ed into our hearts : therefore, we mu3t endeavour to believe on 

. Christ confidently, persuading* and assuring ourselves, in the act 

. of believing", that God freely giveth to us an inteiefet in Christ and 

his salvation, according to his gracious promise. 

EXPLICATION. 

It is evident, that those comforts of the gospel, that 
are necessary to a holy practice, cannot be truly re- 
ceived without some asswance of our interest in Christ 
s;nd his salvation ; for some of these comforts consist in 
a good persuasion of our reconciliation v/ith God, and 
of our future heavenly happiness, and of strength both 
to will and to do that which is acceptable to God through 
Christ; as hath been before shewed. Hence it will 
clearly follow, that this assurance is very necessary^ to 
enable us for the practice of holiness, as those comforts 
that must go before the duties of the law, in order of 
nature, as the cause goeth before the effect, though not 
in any distance of time. My present v/ork is, to shew 
what this assurance is, that is so necessai'y unto holi- 
ness, and which I have here asserted we must act, in 
that very faith whereby we receive Christ himself into 
our hearts, even in justifying saving faith. 

This doctrine seemeth strange to many that profess 
themselves protestants of late days ; whereas it was for- 
merly highly owned by the chief protestants whom God 
made use of to restore the pui ity of the gospel, and to 
maintain it against the papist for many years. They 
commonly taught, that ^' faith m\is a persuasion or con- 
fidence of our own salvation by Christ ;" and that we 
must be sure to apply Christ to ourselves in believing^ 
And this doctrine v/as one of the great engines w hereby 
they prevailed to overtlirow the popish superstition, 
'-"Vv- Hereof doubtfulness of salvation is one of the princi- 



WF SANCTXFICATION- Ui 

pul pillars. JJut many of the successors of those pre- 
tcstants have deserted them, and left their writings to 
bte shamefully insulted by th(? papists. And this inno- 
vation hath been of longer standing amongst us, than 
several other parts of our new divinity, and maintained 
by those that profess to abhor that corrupt doctrine 
wfaich the papists have built upon such principles. i^Io- 
dern divines may think they stand upon the shoulders 
of their predecessors, whose labours they enjoy, and 
that they can see farther than they, as the schoolmen 
might have like thoughts of the ancient father^ ; but, for 
all this, they may not be able to see so far, if the eyes 
of their predecessors were better enlightened by the 
Spirit of God, to understand the mystery of the* gospel. 
And why may we not judge that it is so in the present 
case ? 

The eyes of men, in these late years, have been blind- 
ed in this point of assurance^ by many false imagina- 
tipns. . They think, because salvation is not promised 
to us absolutely, but upon condiiioa of believing on 
Christ for it; therefore we must Rrst believe directly 
on Christ for our salvation, and, after that, we must re- 
flect in our minds upon our faith, and examine it by 
several marks and signs, especially by the fruit of sin- 
cere obedience ; and if, upon this examination, we find 
qut certainly, that it is true saving faith, then, and not 
fc^efor^, we may believe assuredly^ that xve in particular 
shall be saved. On this account, they say that our sal- 
vation is. by the direct^ and our assurance by the rejlex 
act of faith ; and that many have true faith, and shall 
he saved, that never have any assurance of their salva-r 
tion c>s long ns they live in this world. They find, by 
scripture and experit nee, that many precious saints of 
God are frequently troubled with doubtings whether 
they shall be saved^ and whether their faith and obedi- 
ence be sincere, so that thic y cannot see assurance in 
themselves ; therefore they conclude, that assurance 
must not be accounted absolutely necessary to justifying 
faith and salvation, lest we should make the hearts oT 
doubting saints sad, and drive them to despair. 



152 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

They account that former protestants were guilty of 
a manifest absurdity, in making " assurance to be of 
the nature and definition of saving faith;" because all 
that hear the gospel are bound to saving faith, and yet 
they are not bound absolutely to believe that they them- 
selves shall be saved; for then many of them would be 
bound to believe that which is not declared in the gos- 
pel concerning them in particular ; yea, that which is a 
plain lie, because the gospel sheweth, that many of those 
that are called^ are not chosen to salvation, but perish for 
ever, Mat. xx* 16. No wonder if the appearanpe of so 
great an absurdity move many to imagine, that '^ sav- 
ing faith is a trusting or resting on Christ as the only 
sufficient means of salvation, v>7ithout any assurance ; 
or, that it is a desiring and venturing to trust or rely on 
him, in a mere state of suspense and uncertainty con- 
cerning our salvation, or with a probable opinion or con- 
jectural hope of it at best.'* 

Another objection against this doctrine of assurance^ 
is, that *' it destroyeth self-examination ; bringing forth 
the evil fruits of pride and arrogancy, as if they knew 
their places in heaven already, before the day of judg- 
ment : causeth carelessness of duty, carnal security, all 
manner of licentiousness." And this maketh them com- 
mend doubtfulness of our salvation, as necessary to 
maintain in us humility, religious fears, watchfulness, 
much starching and trying our spiritual state and ways, 
diligence in good works, and all devotion. 

Against all these contrar};^ irp aginations, I shall en- 
deavour to maintain this ancient protestant doctrine of 
assurance^ which I have expressed in the Direction. 
And first, I shall lay down some observations for the 
right understanding of it, which will be sufficient to 
turn the edge of the strongest objections that can be 
made against it. 

1. Observe diligently, that the assurance directed 
unto, is not a persuasion that we have already received 
Christ and his salvation, or that wr have been already 
brought into a state of grace ; but only, that " God is 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 153 

pleased graciously to give Christ and his salvation unto 
us, and to bring us into a state of sin and death until 
this present time :" so that this doctrine doth not at all 
tend to breed presumption in wicked and unregenerate 
men, that their state is good already ; but only encour* 
ageth them to come to Christ canjidcntly for a good 
state, I acknowledge that we may, yea, many must be 
taught to doubt whether their present state be good ; 
and that it is humility so to do ; and that we must find 
out the certainty and sincerity of our faith and obedi- 
ence by self-examination, before we can have as tvell^ 
grounded assurance that we are in a state of grace and 
salvation already; and that such an assurance belongeth 
to that which is called the rejiex act of faith, (if any 
act of faith can be made of it, it being a spiritual sense 
of feeling of what i« in myself) and is not of the essence 
of that faith wherel)y we are justified and saved ; and 
that many precious saints are without it, and subject to 
many doubts that are contrary to it; so that they may 
BOt know at all that it shall go well with them at the 
day of judgment; and that it may be sometimes inter- 
mitted, if not wholly lost after it is gotten ; and that we 
should strive to walk holily, that we may attain to it, 
because it is very useful to our growth and increase in 
faith, and in all holiness. 

Most protestants among us, when they speak or write 
oi assurance^ mean only that which is by rejection* And 
I have said enough briefly to shew, that w^hat I asseit, 
i« consistent with the doctrine which is commonly re* 
ceived concerning it, and destructive to none of the good 
fruits of it ; therefore not guilty of those evils that some 
falsely charge it with. This kind of assurance which I 
speak of, answereth not the question, whether I am al- 
ready in a state of grace and salvation ? There is another 
great question that the soul must answer, that it may 
get into a state of grace, whether God be graciously 
pleased now to bestow Christ and his salvation upon 
me, though I have been hitherto a very wicked crea- 
ture ? We must be sure to resolve this question cont- 



154 illE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

fortiibly, by another kind of assurance in the direct act 
of faith, v.- here in Vv-e are to persuade ourselves (without 
reflecting upon any good qualifications in ourselves) 
Aat God is ready graciously to receive us into the arms 
of his saving mercy in Christ, notwithstanding all our 
former wickedness, according to that gracious premise, 
" I will call them my people, which w^ere not my peo- 
ple ; and her beloved, which were not beloved. And 
it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said 
unto them, ye are not my people, there shall they b^ 
called the children of the living God,'^ Rom. iv. 25, ^^* 
2. The assurance directed unto, is not a persuasion 
of our salvation, whatever w^e do, or hoivever we live 
and Vv^alk : but only in a limited vjay^ through mere free 
grace in Christ, by partaking of holiness as well as for- 
giveness, and by walking in the w^ay of holiness to the 
enjo^/ment of the glory of God. We shall not heartily 
desire or endeavour to assure ourselves of such a sal- 
vation as this is, if we be not first brought to see our 
own sinfulness and miser}', and to despair of our own 
righteousness and strength, and to hunger and thirst 
for the sanctifying as well as the justifying grace of 
God in Christ ; so that we may walk in his ways of 
holiness, to the enjoyment of the heavenly glory. The 
faith whereby we receive Christ, must have in it, not 
only a persuasion of happiness^ but these, and the like 
good quaitjlcations^ that will m.ake it a most holy faith: 
Certainly an assurance thus qualified, will not beget 
any pride in us, but rather humility and self-loathing, 
except any account it pride, to " rejoice and glory in 
Christ," when v/e '^ have no confidence in the flesh," 
Phil. iii. 3. It will not destroy religious fear, and breed 
carnal security, but rather it will make us fear going 
aside from Christ, our only refuge and security, and 
walking after tlie fesh. Noah had cause to enter into 
the ark, and to abide there w^ith assurance of his pre- 
servation ; yet he might well be afraid to venture out 
of the ark, because he was persuaded, that continuance 
in the ark was his only safety from perishing in the 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 155 

flood. And how can a persuasion of salvation, in a way 
of holiness, breed slothfulness in duty, carelessness, 
and licentiousness ? It doth rather mightily alkuv, and 
stir us up to " be always abounding \\\ the work of the 
Lord, forasmuch as we knovv', that our labour shall not 
be in vain in the Lord," 1 Cor. xv.- 58. 

They that are persuaded of the free grace of God 
toward thein in Christ, are not, indeed, solicitous about 
earning their salvation by their own legal works. And 
Satan is ready to suggest to them, that this is a sinful 
cpjrelessness, and tendeth to licentiousness. But they 
that will believe this false suggestion of Satan, shew 
plainly that they do not yet know what it is to serve 
(jlrod in love, and that they are held in, to all their 
obedience, by the bit and bridle of slavish fear, " as 
the horse and mule, t'lat have no understanding," Psal. 
xxxii. 9. 

3. Beware of thinking so highly of this assurance, as 
if it were inconsistent with any doubting in the same 
soul. A great reason why many protestants have re- 
ceded from the doctrine of their ancestors in this point, 
is, because they think there can be no true assurance 
of salvation in any that are not troubled with, doubtings^ 
as ,they find many be, whom they cannot but own as 
true believers, and precious saints of God. True, in- 
deed, this assurance must be CGutrarij to douhtings in 
the nature of it; and so, if it be perfect^ in the highest 
degree, it would exclude all doukting out of the soul; 
and it doth nov/ exclude it in some degree. But, is 
there not jlesh^ as v/ell as spirit^ in the best saints on 
earth i Gai. v* 17. Is there nor. ^"^ a law in their mem- 
bers warring against the law of their minds ?" Rom. 
vii. 23. May not one that truly belie veth, say, " Lord, 
help my unbelief;" Mark x. 24. Can any on earth say, 
they have received any grace in the highest degree, and 
that they are zuholly free froai ihe contrary corruption ? 
Why then should v/e thiilk, that assurance cannot be 
true, except it be perfect, and free the soul from all 
doabtings? The apostle counts it a great blessir^g, to 



156 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

the Thessalonians, that they had much assurance :\ni\* 
mat'nr^, that some true assurance might he in a less ck- 
g^reeyl Thess^ i. 5. Petei^ hiid some g-ood assurance of 
Christ s help, v/hen he walked on the water at Christ's 
command, and yet he had S07n€ doubtfulness in him, as 
his fears shewed, when he saw the wind boisterous. 
He had some faith contrary to doubting, though^ it were 
but little, as Christ's words to him shew : " O thou of 
little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt r" Matth. xiv. 
29, 30, 31. It is strange, if the flesh and the Devil 
shall never oppose a true assurance, and assault it with 
doubtings ? A believer may be sometimes so over- 
whelmed with doubtings, that he may not be able to 
perceive an assurance in himself. He is so far from 
knowing his place in heaven already (as some scoffingly 
object) that he will say, that he knoweth not a?iy assur- 
ance that he hath of being there, and necdeth diligent 
self-examinati6n to find it out. Yet, if at that time he 
can blame his soul for doubting, " why art thou cast 
down, O my soul i and, why art thou disquieted in me ? 
hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him,^' Psal. 
xlii. 11. If he condemn his doubtings, as sinful, and 
sa.y with himself, '^ this is my infirmity,'^ Psal. Ixxxvii. 
id, these doubtings are of the flesh, andof the Devil; 
if he still endeavour to call God Father^ and complain 
to him, that he doubteth whether he be his Father, and 
pray that God will give him the assurance of his fatherly 
love, which he is not sensible of, and dispel those fears 
and doubtings ; I say, that such a one hath some true 
assurance, though he must strive to grow to a hrg^her 
degree ; for, if he were not persuaded of the truth of 
tlie love of God towards him, he could not rationally 
condemn his fears and doubts concerning it as sinful ; 
neither could he rationally pray to God as his Father, 
or that God would assure him of that love that he doth 
not think it to be true. 

Do but grant that it is the nature of saving faith, thus 
to resist and struggle with slavish fears of wrath, and 
doubttng' of our own salvation ; and you grant, in effect, 



OF SANCTIFICATION, 157 

that there is, and must be something of assurance of 
our salvation in saving faith, whereby it resisteth doubt- 
ings; and you are, in effect, of the same judgment 
with me in the assertion, hovv^ever strange my expres- 
sions seem to you. If this th?ct I have said concerning 
our imperfection in assurance, n.s well as other graces^ 
were well considered, this ancient protestant doctrine 
wcnild be freed from much prejudice, and gain more 
esteem among us than it doth, 

4. In the last place, let it be well observed, that the 
reason why we are to assure ourselves in our faith, that 
*' God freely giveth Christ and salvation to us particu- 
larly," is not, because it is a truth before we believe it^ 
l)ut because it becometh a certain truth when we believe 
it, and because it never will be true, except we do, in 
some measure, persuade and assure ourselves that it is 
so. We have no absolute promise or declaration in 
scripture, that God certainly will, or doth give Christ 
and his salvation to any one of us m particular ; neither 
do we know it to be true already hj scripture, or sense, 
or reason, before we assure ourselves absolutely of it : 
yea, we are without Christ's salvation at present, in a 
state of sin and misery, under the curse and wrath of 
God. Only I shall prove, that we are bound, by the 
command of God, thus to assure ourselves : and the 
scripture doth sufficiently warrant us, that we should 
not deceive ourselves in believing a lie ; but, according 
to our faith ^ so shall it be to us^ Matth. ix. 29. This is 
a strange kind of assurance, far different from other 
ordinary kinds ; and therefore no wonder if it be found 
weak and imperfect, and difficult to be obtained, and 
assaulted with many doubtings. We are constrained 
to believe other things on the clear evidence we have 
that they are true, and would remain true, whether we 
believe them or no ; so that w^e cannot deny our assent, 
without rebelling against the light of our senses, rea- 
son, and conscience. 

But here our assurance is not impressed on our 
thoughts by any evidence of the thing ; but we must 

N 



ij8 the gospel IVnSTERY 

work it out in ourselves by the assistance of the Spirit 
of God, and thereby we bring our own thoughts into 
captivity to the obedience of Christ. Xone but God 
can justly require of us this kind of assurance, because 
he only " calleth those things that are not, as though 
they were," Rom. iv. 17- lie only can give existence 
to things that yet are not, and make a thing to be true, 
on our believing it, that was not true before. He only 
can make good that promise, '* what things soever ye 
desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive them, 
and ye shall have them," Atark xi. 24. *•' Who is he 
that saith, and it cometh to pass, when trie Lord com- 
mandeth it not?" Lam. iii. 37. Therefore, this faith 
14 due to God only, and greatly redoundeth to his glory. 
Men will often require a believing something like it ; 
as, when one says, ^' I will forgive your offence, and be 
your friend, if I can find that you believe it, and that 
you take me for a friend.'^ But their fallible word is 
not suiScient ground to make us persuade ourselves ab- 
solutely, that we shall have their promised favour*. 
The faith of miracles gives us some light in this mat- 
ter. Christ assured them on whom they were wrought, 
and who had power given them of working them, that 
the miracles should be wrought, if they believed with- 
out doubting of the event, Mark xi. 22, 23. And there 
is a reason for this resemblance ; because the end of 
working miracles, was, to confirm the doctrine of the 
gospel of salvation by faith in Christ's name^ as the 
scriptures clearly shew ; and, indeed, the salvation of 
a sinner is a very great miracle. It is reported that 
w izards do often require those that corne to them, that 
they should believe they shall obtain what they desire 
of them, or at least that they are able to fulfil their de- 
sire ; whereby the devil, the master of those wizards, 
sheweth himself to be God's ape, and that he would 
fain have that honour and glory ascribed to himself 
that is due to God alone. 

Having thus explained the nature of that assurance 
which I have directed unto, I Bhall now produce sevc- 



OP SANCTIFICATION. 159 

ral arguments, to prove, that " there is, and must ne- 
cessarily be, such an assurance or persuasion of salva- 
tion in saving faith itself. 

1. This assurance of salvation is implied in the de- 
scription before given of that faith whereby we receiver 
Christ and his salvation, into our hearts. I described 
faith to be a grace of the Spirit, whereby " we heartily 
believe the gospel, and also believe on Christ, as he is 
revealed and freely promised to us therein, for all his 
salvation." And I shewed, in the explanation, that be- 
lieving on Christ is t^ie same v/ith resting, leaning, stay- 
ing ourselves on Christ, or God throvxgh Christ, for 
our salvation* It may be, some will like that descrip- 
tion the better, because faith was there described by 
terms that are ordinarily used, even by those that deny 
the necessity of assurance ; but these ordinary terms d,o 
sufficiently include assurance in the nature qffaith^ and 
they cannot stand without it. And this sheweth, that 
many hold the doctrine pf assurance implicitly, and 
profess it, though they think the contrary. Believing 
on Christ for salvation, as freely promised to us, must 
needs include a dependance on Christ, with a persua- 
sion that salvation shall be freely given, as it is freely 
promised to us. Believing with a divine faith, ground- 
ed on. the infallible truth of the promise, if it did not, 
in some measure, exclude a mere suspense and waver- 
ing opinion or conjecture, were not v/orthy to be so 
called. Some may be so absurd as to saj'^, that faith is 
only a believing, that we shall be saved by Christ, if 
we perform such conditions as he requireth : and then 
indeed, it will leave us where it found us, as to any cer- 
tainty of salvation, until those conditions be performed. 

But I have already prevented such an absurdity, by 
shewing, that this believing on Christ is, itself, not only 
the condition of our salvation, but also the histrumeyit 
whereby we actually receive it. Believing, being the 
proper act of faith, must needs have the same contra- 
ries to it : as staggering^ Horn. iv. 20 ; waverings Heb. 
X. 23; doubting^ Mat. xiv^ 21] fear. Mark v» o.6» 



1 60 THE G SPEL MYSTERY 

^I'hese contraries do much illustrate the nature of faith ; 
iind do shew, that believing must have some confidence 
in i:, else it would have doubting in the very nature of 
it; for what man, that understandeth the preciousness 
of his immortal soul, and his danger of losing it, can 
ever avoid fear, doubting, and trouble of heart, by any 

, believing, whereby he doth not at all assure himself of 
his solvation ? The other terms of trusting- and rest- 
ing on Jesus Christ, &c. v/hereby faith is often describ- 
ed by orthodox teachers, must include assurance of sal- 
vation, because they signify the same thing with believ- 
ing on Christ. 

The soul m.ust have its sufncient support, to bear it up 
against oppressing fears, troubles, cares, despair, that it 
may thus trust and rest. The right manner of trusting 
and hoping in the Lord is, by assuring ourselves, against 
all fears and doubtings, that ^' the Lord is our God, 
and he is become our salvation. I trusted on thee, O 
S.rord : I said thou art my God," Psal. xxxi. 14. " The 
Ijofd is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer ; 
my God, my strength, in whom I will trust," Psal. xviii. 
2. " Behold God is m.y salvation ; I will trust and not 
be afraid," Isa. xii. 2. " O my soul, hope thou in God, 
who is the health of my countenance, and my God," 
Psal. xlii. 11. True hope is grounded in God only, 
that he zvill bless us^ that he may be an " anchor for the 
soul, sure and stedifast," Heb. vi. 17, 18, 19. If you 
trust, rely, and stay yourselves on Christ, or hope in 
him, without asis^ring yourselves at all of salvation by 
him, you make no better use of him, than if he were a 
broken reed : and, if you would stay yourselves on the 
Lord, you must look upon him as your God; as the pro- 

' phet teacheth, " let him trust on the name of the Lord, 
and stay upon his God," Isa. 1. 10. If you will rest in 
the Lord, you must believe that he dealeth hountifxdly 
with you, Psal. cxvi. 7 ; or else, for ought you know, 
you n^ay make your bed in hell. And you will shew 
little regard of Christ, and of your soul, if you dare to 
rest under the wrath of God, without any persuasion 
©f a sure interest in Christ. People may please them- 



OF' SANCTI.FICATION. . ICi 

selves with such a trusting^ or resting, &c. when they 
are at ease ; but in time of temptation, it vanisheth away, 
and appeareth to be no true faith, but is turned i\ito 
shame. The soul that liveth in such wavering and*- 
doubting concerning salvation, doth not stay itself, nor 
rest at all; but is ^^ like a wave of the sea, driven with 
the wind, and tossed; he is a double-minded man, un- 
stable in all his ways," Jam. i. 6. If you continue ou 
the mere suspense and doubtfulness of salvation by 
Christ, your desire to trust, is but a lazy xuGulding\ 
without any fixed resolution^ and you dare not yet ven- 
ture to trust on him stedfastly.. If you call it only your 
desire to trust and rely on Jesus Christ, I may answer, 
that you cannot do this much, in a right manner, except 
you desire and venture to persuade and assure your- 
selves of your salvation by Christ, notwithstanding all 
the causes that you have to doubt and fear the contrary. 

If it be objected, that we may trust on Christ only 
as a sufficient means of salvation, w^ithout any assurance 
of the effect^ I shall acknowledge, that the sufficiency 
of God and Christ is a good ground for us to rest on : 
but we must understand by it, not only a sufficiency qf 
power, but also of good will and mercy towards us ; 
for what have we to do more vv^ith the suffciency of God 
and Christ's power than fallen angels, without his good 
will towards us ? And if this be truly believed, it will: 
exclude doubtfulness cowctrmn^ your salvation., 

2. Several places of scripture declare positively and 
expressly, that we are to be assured of our salvation^ in 
that faith whereby we are justified and saved.. I shaH 
produce some instances. We are exhorted to " draw 
near to God with full assurance of faith," Heb. x. 22. 
Many apply this text to that which they call the refex 
act of faith ^ because they imagine that all assurance 
must needs be by refection. But the words of the text 
do clearly teach us to understand it of that act of faith 
whereby we draw near to God ; that is, the direct act : 
and it is that very faith whereby the just do live^ even 
justifying, saving faith, ver. 38. And this assurance 

N 2 



162 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

must be full, at least in the true and proper nature of it, 
in opposition to mere dou])ting and uncertaintv, though 
we are further to labour for that ^vhich if full in the 
highest degree of perfection. And the same faith where- 
by we are exhorted to draw near unto God, and w^here- 
by the just liveth, is, a little after, ch. xi. 1. affirmed to 
be " the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence 
of things not seen." Why should saving faith have 
these high titles and attributes given to it, if it did not 
contain in it a sure persuasion of the great things in our 
•salvation hoped for, making them to be evident to the 
eyes of our mind, as if they were already present in their 
substance, though yet not visible to our bodily eyes ? 

That faith whereby we are made partakers of Christ, 
and to be Christ's house, must be worthy to be called con" 
Jidence^ and accompanied with rejoicing hope ; " whose 
house we are, if vv^e hold fast the confidence, and re- 
joicing of the hope firm unto the end," Heb. iii. 6, 14. 
What is confidence concerning any thing, but trusting 
concerning it, with a firm persuasion of the truth of it ? 
If we have only a strong opinion concerning a thing, 
without any absolute certainty, v/e vise to say^ that we 
>iire not altogether confident of it. The faith whereby 
we are justified, must be in a measure like to the faith 
whereby '^ Abraham, against hope, believed in hope, 
that his seed should certainly be multiplied according 
to the promise of God ; though by reason of the dead- 
ness of his ow^n body, and of Sarah's w omb," he could 
have no evidence from his qualifications to assure him* 
•self of it : but all appearances w^ere i:ather to the con- 
trary ; ?ts the apostle teacheth clearly, Kom. iv. 18, 19^ 
^3, 24. As absolutely as this promise was, thus made 
to Abraham, yet it was not to be fulfilled without this 
assurance of faith ; and, by the like faith, the free pro- 
mises of salvation by Christ, will be absolutely fulfilled 
to us. 

The apostle James expressly requireth, that w^e should 
ask good things of. God in faith, nothing' doubting; 
\y]jich inclucjleth assurance manifestly ; and. he tells ug 



OF SANCTIIICATION. 163 

plainly, that Avithout it a man ought not to think that he 
shall receive cniij thing- of the Lord, 'i'herelbre, we may 
firmly conclude, that without it we shall not receive the 
salvation of Christ, Jam. i. 6, 7* And that which the 
apostle James requireth us not to doubt of, is the obtain- 
ing the things that we ask; as we may learn from an in- 
struction, to the same purpose, given to us by Christ 
himself; " what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, 
believe ye receive them, and ye shall have them," Mark 
xi. 24. 

More places of scripture might be alleged to the same 
purpose : but these are sufficient to evince, that we are 
to assure ourselves in our salvation in faith itself, or else 
we are not likely to enjoy it ; and that it is not humility^ 
but rather proud disobedience, to live in a state of more 
suspense and doubtfulness concerning our salvation ; 
and that this assurance must be in the direct actoii2at\\ 
whereby we are justified and saved. For, as for that 
which IS called the reflex act of faith, it is a certain 
truth, and generally owned, that it is not absolutely ne- 
cessary to salvation to any ; and that it is sinful and per-- 
nicious to many to believe, that they are already entered 
into a state of grace and salvation. 

3. God giveth us sufficient ground in scripture to 
come to Christ with confident faith ^ at the very first; 
trusting assuredly that Christ and his salvation shall be? 
given to us, w^ithout any failing and delay, however vile, 
and sinful our condition hath been hitherto. The scrip- 
ture speaketh to the vilest sinners in such a manner as 
if it were framed on purpose to beget assurance of sal- 
vation in them immediately. Acts ii. 39. and iii. 26. 
This promise is universal, that " whoever believeth on 
Christ, shall not be ashamed," without making a differ- 
ence between Jew and Greek, Rom. x. 11,12., And 
this promise is confirmed by the blood of Christ, who 
was given for the world, and lifted up upon the cross 
for this very end, that " whosoever believeth on him^ 
should not perish, but have everlasting life,'*' John iii.. 
X4, 15, 16. His invitation is free to any; " if any man. 



164 TIIE GOSPEL 3IYSTEP.Y 

thirst, let hiin come untame'and drink ;" and this drink 
is promised to everj^ one that belie veth, John vii. 37, 
39. The command of believing is propounded, hot 
only in general, but in particular ; and the promise of 
salvation upon believing, is also applied personally, and 
that to such as have been hitherto in a state of sin and 
wrath ; as to the wicked, persecuting, self-murdering 
jailer. Acts xvi. 31. '' Believe on the Lord Jesus, and 
thou shaltbe saved, and thine house.'^ God command- 
ed them that walked together in sin hitherto to call him 
their own Father^ in their very first returning, Jer. iii. 
4. So, Hos. ii. 25. " God will say, thou art my peo- 
ple ; and they will say, thou art my God ;" confidently 
averring their personal interest in him. God hath join- 
ed conjidence and salvation inseparably together ; *' in 
returning and rest ye shall be saved ; in quietness and 
in confidence shall be your strength," Isa. xxx. 15. 

What a poor slender use and improvement do many 
make of these discoveries of the rich grace of God to- 
wards sinners, who say, that if we see that we have per- 
formed the condition of believing, then we may take 
Christ confidently as our own. They skip over the first 
principal use they ought to make of them. The very 
performance of the condition is, to take Christ as our 
own immediately^ and to eat and drink him, by believ- 
ing conjidently on him for our salvation. If an honest 
rich man say to a poor woman, " I promise to be thy 
husband, if thou wilt have me ; say but the word, and 
I am thine :" may she not presently answer confidently, 
*^ thou art my husband, and I claim thee for my hus- 
band -y and should she not rather say so, than say, " I 
believe not what thou sayest ?" If an honest man say, 
^^ do but take this gift, and it is your own ; do but eat 
and drink, and you are freely welcome :" may I not 
take the gift, and eat and drink at first, without any far- 
ther ado, and with assurance " that it is mine freely ?" 
If I do it doubtingly, I disparage the honesty and credit 
of the donor, as if he were not a man of his w^ord. In 
:ike manner, if fearing to be fee? confident, lest we should 



OF SANCTIFICATIOJS^ 165, 

t)elieve a lie, we should come to Christ doubtingly, and 
in mere suspense, whether we should be freely enter- 
tained, after all God's free invitations and promises, 
should we not disparage ih^ faithfulness of God ? And 
should we not be guilty of making God a liar ? As the 
apostle John teacheth, because of our not believing the 
record whrch God hath given of his Son : '^ And this is 
the record, that God hath given us eternal life ; and this 
life is in his Son," 1 John v. 10, 11. 

And what if the salvation promised, be not absolutely 
intended for all to whom the gospel cometh ? It is 
enough, that God givethus his faithful word, that they 
that believe shall have it, and none else ; and hath abso- 
lutely intended to fulfil his word that none shall find it 
to be a lie to them, and hath joined believing and salva- 
tioii inseparably together. On this ground God may 
justly cause the promise of this salvation to be published 
to all, and may justly require all to believe on him as- 
suredly for their own salvation, that so it may appear 
whether they will give him the glory of his truth : and 
if they will not, he may justly reject them, and punish 
them severely for dishonouring him by their unbelief. 
In this case, we must not look to the secret decrees of 
God, but to his revealed promises and commands* Thus 
God promised to the Israelites in the wilderness, that 
he would give them the land of Canaan, and would fight 
for them against their enemies ; and required them not 
to fear or be discouraged, that so the promise might be 
fulfilled to them ; yet God never absolutely decreed or 
intended^ that those Israelites should enter in ; as the 
event did quickly manifest, Beut. i. 20, 21, 29, 30. Yet, 
were they not bound, in thia case,' to trust confidently 
in God, to give him victory over their enemies, and to 
give them the possession of the land ? had they not suf- 
ficient ground for such a faith ? was it not just with God 
to consume them in the wilderness for their unbelief? 
" Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being made of 
entering into this everlasting rest through Christ, we 
should come short of it, and fall after the same example 
of unbelief," Heb. iv. 1, 11^ 



166 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

4. The professors of true godliness^ that we read of 
through the scriptures of the Old and New Testament^ 
did commonly profess their assurance and persuasion o£ 
their interest in God and his salvation, and were direct- 
ed by the word of God so to do ; and true saints had 
still some assurance of it. And we have no cause to- 
judge, that this assurance was grounded on the certainty 
of their own good qualificatio)is^ but I'ather on the prO'^ 
mises of God by the direct act of faith. We may judge 
of the ordinary profession of the frame of spirir that was 
in the saints, by some instances. I shall begin with the 
profession that the church made when it was very cor^ 
rupt, at its first coming out of Egypt, when few of them 
could assure themselves, by their good qualifications, 
that they were in a state of grace already ; which many 
now imagine to be the only way of assurance. Even 
in that corrupt time, the children of Israel sung that 
triumphant song of Moses, ^^ the Lord is my strengeii 
and my song, and he is become my salvation ; he is my^ 
God,'' Exod. XV. 2. Moses taught them in that song, 
to assure themselves of their own personal interest in 
the salvation ; and he guided them to the practice of 
their duty. And they did not find fault with IVIoses, as 
' some do with ministers in these days, for putting them 
to express more confidence in their song, than they can 
find ground for from their qualifications ; but they ap- 
plied themselves to the exercise of their faith, agreeably 
to the song : and, doubtless, this faith was unfeigned in 
some few of them, though but feigned in others; for 
it is testified of them, that then ^^ they believed his 
words, they sang his praise," Psal. cvi. 12. Several 
other psiiims and songs, that v/ere by divine appointment 
in common use under the Old Testament, are as clear 
an evidence as we can desire, of that assurance of faith 
which is commonly professed, and that people were ge- 
nerally bound to, under the Old Testament ; as Psal. 
xxiii. xxvii. xliv. and xlvi. Many other psalms, or ex- 
pressions in psalms, might be alleged. The spirits of 
few in comparison, cQuld have thoroughly compiled. 



OF SAXCTIFICATIOX. 16:^ 

A^^ich such psalms, though they were true believ^ers, if all 
the assurance of the love of God must altogether depend 
upon the certain knowledge of the sincerity of their 
ovvn hearts. 

We have a great cloud of witnesses together out of 
the whole history of the Old Testament, lleb. xi- who 
did, and suffered, and obtained great things by faith ; 
v.hose examples are produced on purpose that we fol- 
low them in believing, to ^* the saving of our souls," 
Meb. X. 39. And, if we consider these examples par- 
ticularly, we shall find, that many of them do evidently 
?:'uide us to such a saxdng faith as hath an assurance of 
the effect contained in the nature of it. I confess we 
read several times of the fears and doubtings of the 
saints under the Old Testament ; but w^e read also how 
thev themselves condemned them as contrary to faith, 
as in the Psalms; Psal. xlii. 11. xxxi. 22. and Ixxvii. 
7, 10. The most mournful psa|m in scripture begins 
with an expression of some assurance, Psal. Ixxxviii. 1 • 
And we may note, that the doubtings that we meet v/ith 
of the saints of old, were commonly occasioned by some 
extraordinary affliction, or some heinous transgression ; 
not by common failings, or the common original depra* 
vation of nature, or the uncertainty of their election, 
or any thought that it is humility to doubt, and that 
they were not really bound to be confident of God's sal- 
vation, because then many might be bound to believe 
a lie. It is hard to find any of these occasions of doubt- 
ing under the Old Testament, though they are grown 
so rife among us now under the New Testament. 

In the time of the apostles, we may well expect that 
the assurance of faith grew higher, because the salva- 
tion of Christ was revealed, and the Spirit of adoption 
poured forth plentifully, and the church made free from 
Its former bondage under the terrifying legal covenant. 
Paul could prove to primitive christicins, by appeals to 
their ov/n experience, that they were the ^' children and 
heirs of God, because they had not received the Spirit 
of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, 



168 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

whereby they cry, Abba, Father," Horn. viii. 15. '' The 
Spirit itself beareth ^yitness with our spirits," [or, bear- 
ing our spirits witness,] as the Syriac and vulgar I-atin 
render it, and as the like Greek phrase is rendered, 
Horn. ix. 1. ^^ that v/e are the children of God ; and if 
children, then heirs," Rom, viii. 15, 16, 17. Gal. iv. 6. 
And the apostle tells the Ephesians, that after they be- 
lieved, " they were sealed with the Holy Sph'lt, vv^hich 
was the earne.^t of their inheritance," Eph. i. 13, 14; 
i. e. they were sealed from the same time that they be- 
lieved : for the original v/ords are in the same tense. 
If this witness, seal and earnest of the Spirit had not 
been ordinray to believers, it would not have been suf- 
ficient to prove, that they were the children of God; 
and such manner of arguing migJit have driven some to 
despair, that wanted this witness, seal and earnest. 

Let us inquire now, whether the Spirit beareth v/it- 
ness that we are the children of God, and enables us to 
cry, Abha^ Father^ by the direct act^ or by that which 
they call the refiex act of faith ? For we must not think 
that it is done by an enthusiasm, without any ordinary 
means ; nor can M"e reasonably imagine, that no true be- 
lievers can call God Father^ by the guidance of the Spi- 
rit, but only those few that are so sure of their own sin- 
cerity, that by reflecting upon it, they can ground an 
act of faith concerning their own interest in Christ ; no, 
surely. Therefore we may j udge rather, that the Spi- 
rit v/orketh this in us, by giving us saving faith itself, 
by the direct act of which all true believers are enabled 
to trust assuredly on Christ for the enjoyment of the 
adoption of children, and all his salvation according to 
the free promise of God : and to call God, Father, Avith- 
out reflecting on any good qualifications in themselves ; 
for the Spirit is received by the direct act of faith, Gal. 
iii. 2; and so he is the Spirit of adoption, and comfon, 
to all that receive him. They that assert, that the Spi- 
rit witnesseth our adoption, only by assuring us of the 
sincerity of our faith, love, and other gracious qualifi- 
cations^ and by the rcjltx act of faith, do teach also 



OF SAJVCTIFICATION. 169 

commonly, that you must again try, whether the Spirit 
thus witnessing, be the Spirit of truth, or of dekision, 
by searching narrowly, whether our inward grace be 
sincere or counterfeit: so that hereby the testimony of 
the Spirit is rendered so hard to be discerned, that it 
standeth us in no stead ; but all our assurance is made 
at last to depend upon our own certain knowledge of 
our own sincerity. 

There are several other evidences to shew, that be- 
lievers generally v/ere persuaded of the salvation in the 
apostles time. They loved and waited for the coming 
of Christ to judge the world, 1 Cor. i. 7. 2 Tim. iv. 8. 
They loved all the saints for the hope that was laid up 
for them in heaven, Col. i. 3, 4, 5i The Corinthians, 
that were very carnal, and but babes in Christ, were 
persuaded that they should judge the world, and angels, 
and that their bodies were members of Christ, and the 
temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3, 15, 19. The 
very first coming of the gospel to the Thessalonians, 
was " in the Holy Ghost, and m.uch assurance ;" so that 
'' they received it in much affliction, with joy of the 
Holy Ghost ;" when as yet they had no considerable 
time to get assurance, by reflecting on their good qua- 
lifications, 1 Thess. i. 5, 6. Likewise, the believing 
Hebrews, when they were illuminated at their conver- 
sion, '* took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, know- 
ing that they had in heaven a better and an enduring 
substance ; and this was their confidence, which they 
were not to cast off, because the just liveth by faith.'^ 
And therefore it appeareth, that this confidence belong- 
eth necessarily to justifying saving faith, Heb. x. 34, 
85, 38i 

Now, let those that allege the examples or experience 
of many modem christians, to disprove all that I have* 
asserted, consider well whether these are fit to be laid 
in the balance a^gainst all the scripture examples and 
experience that I have produced out of the Old and 
New Testament. I confess, that assurance of salvation 
is more rarely professed !>y christians in these times 

O 



iro THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

than formerly : and we may thank some teachers for it, 
that have deserted the doctrine of former protestants in 
this point, and vented against it several errors, such as 
have been already named ; and now would take advan- 
tage to confirm the truth of their doctrine from those 
doubtings in christians, that have been chiefly occasion- 
ed by it. But, however, the nature of saving faith is 
still the same. And I assert, that, in these days, as 
v/ell as formerly, it always hath in it some assurance of 
salvation by Christ, which doth and will appear, at least 
in resisting and condemning all doubtings, and praying 
against them, and endeavouring to trust assuredly, and 
to call God, Father ; except in extraordinary desertions, 
by which our case must not be tried. We are not to 
trust to the judgment of many concerning themselves. 
They will judge falsely, that they have no assurance at 
all, because they know not yet, by marks and signs, that 
they are in a state of grace already, or because they 
think that there is no assurance when there are many 
doubtings, and because it is so weak, and so much op- 
pressed with doubting, that it can hardly be discerned, 
as life in a fainting fit. But, if their judgments be bet- 
ter informed, they may be brought to discern some as- 
surance in themselves. We are also to take heed of 
mistaking those for true believers, that are not so, and 
of judging this point by their experiences ; which is a 
vulgar error. The blind charity of some moveth them 
to take all for true believers who are full of doubts and 
troubles concerning their salvation, though it may be 
tliey only are convinced of sin, and brought to some 
zeal of God that is not according to tlie knowledge of 
the way of salvation by Christ ; and they think it duty 
to comfort such ignorant persons, by persuading them, 
that their state is good, and their faith right, though 
they have no assurance of salvation. Thus they are 
brought to judge falsely concerning the nature of faith, 
out of their blind charity to such as are yet in ignorance 
and unbelief; and, instead of comforting such, thty ra- 
ther take the direct way to harden them in their natural 



OF S ANCTIFICATION. I71 

state, and to divert them from seeking consolation by 
saving faith in Christ, and to ruin their souls for ever* 

5. The chief office of this faith, in its direct saving 
act, is to receive Christ and his salvation actually into 
our hearts, as hath been proved ; which office cannot 
be rationally performed, except we do, in some mea- 
sure, persuade our hearts, and assure ourselves, in the 
enjoyment of him. As the body receiveth things into 
itself by the hands and mouth, so the soul receiveth 
these things to itself, and layeth actual hold on them, 
by the faculty of the will, maketh choice of them, and 
embracing them in a way of present enjoyment and pos- 
session, as it doth by the faculty of the understanding, 
see and apprehend them. Thus the soul receiveth com- 
fort from outward things ; as a righteous person cannot 
receive inward comfort from outward things, as from 
worldly estate, wife, husband, friends, &c. except he 
choose them as good, and account them his own by a 
right and title. This is the only rational way whereby 
the soul can actively lay hold on Christ, and take actual 
possession of him, and his salvation, as he is freely of- 
fered and promised to us in the gospel, by the grace of 
faith, which God hath appointed to be our great instru- 
ment for the receiving of him, and closing with him. 
If we do not make choice of Christ as our only salva- 
tion and happiness, or if we be altogether in a state of 
suspense, and doubting whether God will be pleased to 
give Christ to us or no, it is evident, that our souls are 
quite loose from Christ, and have no holdfast or enjoy- 
ment of him. They do not so much as pretend to any 
actual receiving, or laying hold, or choosing of him, 
neither are they fully satisfied that it is lawful for them 
so to do : but rather they are yet to seek, whether they 
have any good ground or right to lay hold on him or no. 

Let any rational man judge, whether the soul doth, 
or can put forth any sufficient act for the reception and 
enjoyment of Christ, as its Saviour, head, or husband, 
Mobile it is yet In doubt, whether it be the will of Christ 
to be joined with it in such a near relation i Can a w*.- 



2 72 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

raan honestly receive any one as her husband, v/ithout 
being assured that lie is fully willing to be her husband ? 
The same may be said concerning the several parts of 
Christ's salvation, which are to be received by faith. It 
is evident, that we do not aright receive the benefit of 
remission of sins, for the purging of our consciences 
Ircm that guilt that lieth upon them, unless we had an 
assured persuasion of God's forgiving them. We do 
BOt actually receive into our hearts, our reconciliation 
with God, and adoption of children, and the title to an 
everlasting inheritance, until we can assure ourselves, 
that God is graciously pleased to be our God and Fa- 
ther, and to take us to be his children and heirs. We 
do not actually receive any sufficient strength to encour- 
age our hearts to holiness in all difficulties, until we 
can stedfastly believe, that God is with us, and will not 
fail nor forsake us. 

Hence then we may firmly conclude, that whosoever 
seeketh to be saved by faith, and doth not seek to have 
tissurance or confidence of his own salvation, doth but 
deceive himself, and delude his soul with a mere fancy 
instead of saving faith, and doth in effect, seek to be 
saved in his corrupt natural state, without receiving, 
and laying actual hold of the Lord Jesus Christ and his 
salvation. 

6. It is also a great and necessary office of saving 
faith, to purify the hearty and to enable us to live and 
walk in the practice of all holy duties, by the grace of 
Christ, and by Christ himself living in us, as hath been 
shewed before ; which office faith is not able to perform, 
except some assurance of our own interest in Christ, 
and his salvation, be comprehended in the nature of it. 
If we would live to God, not to ourselves, but by Christ 
living in us, according to Paul's example, we must be 
able to assure ourselves as he did, " Christ loved me, 
and gave himself for me," Gal. ii. 20. We are taught, 
that, " if we live in the Spirit, w^e should walk in the 
Spirit," Gal. v. 25. It would be high presumption if 
\rQ should endeavour tQ walk above our natural strength^ 



OF SANCTIFICAIION. l?3 

and power by the Spirit, before we have made sure of 
our living by the Spirit. I have shewed, that we can- 
not make use of the comfortable benefits of the saving 
grace of Christ, whereby the gospel doth engage and 
encourage us to a holy practice, except we have some 
confidence of our own interest in those saving benefits. 
If we do not assuredly believe, that we are dead to sin, 
and alive to God through Christ, and risen with Christ, 
and not under the law, but under grace, and members 
of Christ's body„the temple of his Spirit, the dear chil- 
dren of God, it would be hypocrisy to serve God upon 
the account of such privileges as if we reckoned our- 
selves to be partakers of them. He that thinks he 
should doubt of his salvation, is not a fit disciple 
for this manner of doctrine ; and he may reply to the 
preachers of the gospel, if you would bring me to holi- 
ness, you must make use of other more eflpectual argu- 
ments ; for I cannot practise upon these principles, be- 
cause I have not faith enough to believe, that I have any 
interest in them. Some arguments taken from the jus- 
tice and wrath of God against sinners, and his merc)^ 
towards those that perform the condition of sincere 
obedience, would work more powerfully upon me. O 
what a miserable worthless kind of saving faith is this, 
that cannot fi;t a believer to practise in a gospel man- 
ner, upon the most pure and powerful principles of 
grace, but rather leaveth him to work upon legal princi- 
ples, which can never bring him to serve God accept- 
ably out of love ! And as such a faith faileth wholly in 
the right manner of obeying, upon gospel principles, so 
it faileth also in the very matter of some great duties,, 
which are of such a nature, that they include assurance 
of God's love in the right performance of them ; such 
are those great duties of peace with God ; rejoicing la- 
the Lord always ; hope that maketh not ashamed ; own- 
ing the Lord as our God and our Saviour ; praying to 
him as our Father in heaven ; oflFering up body and soul 
as an acceptable sacrifice to him ; casting all our cares 
of body and soul upon him ; contentment and hearty 



174 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

thanksgiving in every condition ; making our boast in 
the Lord ; triumphing in his praise ; rejoicing in tribu- 
lation; putting on Christ in our baptism; receiving 
Christ's body as broken for us, and his blood shed for 
lis in the Lord's Supper ; committing our souls willirigly 
to God as our Redeemer, when he shall be pleased to 
call for us; loving Christ's second appearance, and look- 
ing for it as that blessed hope. When we fall into any 
suddeh doubting whether we are in a state of grace al- 
ready ; when we are called to any present undertaking, 
to partake of the Lord's Supper, or any duty that re- 
quires assurance to the right performance of it, we must 
relieve ourselves, by trusting confidently in Christ for 
the present gift of his salvation, or else we shcill be 
driven to omit the duty, or not to perform it rightly or 
sincerely. Can we judge ourselves already in a state 
of grace, by the reflex act of faith, if we do not find, 
that we perform these duties, at. least several of them^ 
sincerely ; or, if we do not find, that we have such a holy 
faith as doth fully enable, or incline us to the perform- 
ance of them ) And can we be thus enabled and inclin* 
ed by any faith that is v/ithout som.e true assurance of 
our salvation ? Therefore, I conclude, that we must 
necessarily have some assurance of our salvation in the 
direct act of faith, whereby v/e are justified, sanctified 
und saved, before we can, upon any good ground, as- 
sure ourselves, that we are already in a state of grace, 
by that which we call the rejiex act. 

Give me such a saving faith as will produce such 
fruits as these. No other faith will wori by love ; and 
therefore will not avail to salvation in Christ, Gal. v. 6. 
The apostle James putteth thee upon shewing thy ^- faith 
by thy v/orks," James ii. 18. And in this trial, this faith 
of assurance cometh off with high praise and honour. 
When God called his people to work outward miracles 
by it, ail things have been possible to them ; and it hath 
frequently brought forth such works of righteousness, 
as may be deservedly esteemed great spiritual miracles. 
From hence hath proceeded that heroic fortitude of the 



OF SANCTIFICATIOK. 175 

people of God, whereby their absolute obedience to 
God hath shined forth in doing and suffering those 
great things which are recorded in the holy scriptures, 
and in the histories of the church. And, if we be ever 
called to the fiery trial, as protestants formerly were, 
we shall find their doctrine of assurance will encourage 
us in suffering for the sake of Clirist. 

7- The contrary doctrine, which excludeth assurance 
of the nature of saving faith, bringeth forth many evil 
fruits. It tendeth to bereave our souls of ail assurance 
of our salvation, and solid comfort, which is the life of 
religion, by placing them after sincere universal obedi- 
ence ; whereas, if we have them not first, we can never 
attain to this obedience, nor to any assurance that de- 
pendeth on it, as hath been proved. And this, as far 
as it prevails, m?tkes us subject to continual doubtings 
concerning our salvation, and to tormenting fears of 
wrath, which caste th out true love to God, and can pro- 
duce no better than slavish hypocritical service. It is 
one of the principal pillars whereby manifold supersti- 
tions in popery are supported, as their monkish orders, 
their satisfactions for sin, by works of penance, bodily 
macerations, whippings, pilgrimages, indulgences, trust- 
ing on the merit of saints, &c. When once men have 
lost the knowledge of the right way to assure them- 
selves of salvation, they will catch at any straw, to avoid 
drowning in the gulph of despair. 

There is no way to administer any solid comfort to 
the wounded spirits of those that see themselves void 
of all holiness, under the wrath and curse of God, dead 
in sin, not able so much as to think a good thought. 
You do but increase their terror and anguish, if you 
tell them, they must first get faith and obedience -, and, 
when they find they have done that, they may persuade 
themselves, that God will receive them into his grace 
and favour. Alas ! they know that they cannot believe 
nor obey, except God assist them with his grace and 
favour. And what if they be even at the point of death, 
uud struggling with death's pangs, so that they have no 



176 THE GOSPEL MYSTEKY 

time or leisure to get good qualifications f and examine 
the goodness of them. You must have a more speedy- 
way to comfort such, by discovering to them the free 
promise of salvation to the worst of sinners by faith in 
Christ, and by exhorting them to apply those promises, 
and trust on Christ confidently for remission of sins, ho- 
liness, and glory : assuring them also, that God will 
help them to believe sincerely on Christ, if they desire 
it with all their hearts ; and that it is their duty to be- 
lieve, because God commands it. 

Several other evils are occasioned by the same doc- 
trine. Men are unwilling to know the worst of them- 
selves, and prone to think their qualifications better than 
they are, that they may avoid despair. Others please 
and content themselves without any assurance of their 
interest in Christ, because they think that it is not ne- 
cessary to salvation, and that but few attain to it : and 
in this they shev/ little love to Christ, or to their own 
souls. Some foster doubtings of salvation as signs of 
humility, though they will hypocritically complain of 
them. Many spend their time in poring upon their own 
hearts, to find out some evidence of their interest in 
Christj when they should rather be employed in receiv- 
ing Christ and walking in him, by a confident faith. 

Some are troubled with doubts whether they should 
call God, Father^ and what apprehensions they should 
have of him in prayer ; and are offended at ministers, 
that, in their public prayers, use any expressions that 
the people cannot join in; as when they do own God 
as their God and Fatlier, and Christ as their Saviour : 
and upon the same account they are offended at the 
public singing of many of David's Psalms ; and avoid 
partaking of the Lord's Supper, because they are not 
satisfied about their interest in Christ. 

Though true believers have some assurance of salva- 
tion on saving faith itself, yet it is much weakened in 
many by this contrary doctrine, assaulted with many 
doubtings ; and then other good qualifications must 
needs be low and weak together with it^ and so obscure,. 



OF SANeTIFICATION. 177 

that it is very hard to discern them. How hard a thing 
then will it be for true believers to assure themselves, 
by the certain knowledge of their own sincerity, that 
they are in a state of grace already, which some say is 
the only assurance of faith ? Some prescribe such marks 
and signs to distinguish sincerity from hypocrisy, that 
believers cannot sufficiently try themselves by them, 
except they have more knowledge and experience than 
ordinarj^ 

Thus many believers walk heavily in the bitterness 
of their souls, conflicting w^ith fears and doubtings all 
their days. And this is the cause that they have so lit- 
tle courage and fervency of spirit in the ways of God, 
and that they so much mind earthly things, and are so 
afraid of sufferings and death ; and if they get assurance 
by the refex act of faith, they often soon lose it again 
by sins and temptations. The way to avoid these evils, 
is to get your a^iiurance^ and to maintain it, and renew 
it upon all occasions by the direct act of faith, by trust-- 
ing assuredly *' on the name of the Lord, and staying 
yourself upon your God, when you walk in darkness, 
and see no light," in any of your own qualifications, 
Isa. L 10. I doubt not but the experience of choice 
f;hristians will bear witness to this truth. 



DIRECTION XI. 

Jlndeavour diligently to perform the great work of believing" on 
Christ, in a rig-ht manner, without any delay ; and then also con- 
tinue and increase in your most holy faith ; that so your ei^joyment 
of Christ, union and fellowship w^ith him, and ail holiness by him, 
^nay be begun, continued and increased in yoa. 

EXPLICATION. 

Having already discovered to you the powerful and 
effectual meana of a holy practice, my remaining work 
is^ to lead you to the actual exercise and improvement 
©f them, for the immediate attainment of the end* 



178 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

And, I think, it may be clearly perceived by the fore- 
going Directions, th^tjaith in ChrLt is the duty with 
which a holy life is to begin, and by which the founda- 
tion of all other holy duties is laid in the soul. 

It is before sufficiently proved, that Christ himself, 
with all endowments necessary to enable us to a holy 
practice, is received actually into our hearts hy faith. 
This is the uniting grace, whereby the Spirit of God 
knitteth the knot of mystical marriage between Christ 
and us, and maketh us branches of that noble vine ; 
members of that body, joined to that excellent head ; 
living stones of that spiritual temple, built upon the pre- 
cious living corner stone and sure foundation ; partakers 
of the bread and drink that came down from heaven, 
and giveth life to the world. This is the grace where- 
by we pass from our corrupt natural state^ to a nerv holy 
state in Christ ; also from death in sin, to the life of 
righteousness ; and whereby we are comforted, that so 
we may be established in every good word and work. 

If we put the question, " what must we do that we 
may work the works of God ?" Christ resolveth it, that 
we " believe on him whom he hath sent," John vi. 28, 
29. He putteth ns first upon the w^ork of believing^ 
which is the zvori ofGod^ by way of eminency, the rvork 
cf works J because all other good works proceed from it. 
Th^ FIRST thing in the present Direction, is, to put 
you upon xho^ performance of this great work of -believ- 
ing on Christ, and to guide you therein ; for, you are to 
consider distinctly ybx/r things contained in it. 

1. Thejfr6jf is, you are to make it yoMV diligent en- 
deavour to perform the great work of believing on Christ. 
Many make little conscience of this duty. It is not 
know^n by natural light, as many moral duties are, but 
only by supernatural re^velation in the gospel ; and it is 
foolishness to the natural man. These are sometimes 
terrified with apprehensions of other sins, and will exa-^ 
mine themselves concerning them : and, it may be, will 
write them down, to help their memories and devotion. 
But the great sin of 7iOt believing on Christ, is seklcnft 



OF S.iNCTlFICATlON. ir§ 

thought of in their self-examinations, or registered in 
the large catalogues of their sins. And even those who 
are convinced, that believing on Christ is a duty neces- 
sary to salvation, do neglect all diligent endeavours to 
perform it : either because they account that it is a mo- 
tion on the heart which may be easily performed at any 
time, %\idiout any labour or diligent endeavours ; or, 
on the contrary, because they account it as difficult as 
all tlie works of the law, and utterly impossible for them 
to perform by their most diligent endeavours, except 
the Spirit of God work it in them by his mighty power ; 
and that therefore it is in vain for them to work, until 
they feel this w^orkingof the Spirit in their hearts ; or, 
because they account it a duty so peculiar to the elect, 
that it would be presumption for them to endeavour 
the performance of it, until they know themselves to be 
elected to eternal life through Christ. I shall urge 3'ou 
to a diligent performance of this duty, notwithstanding 
these impediments, by the following consideration. It is 
worthy our best endeavours, as appeareth by thtpreci- 
ousness^ excellency and necessity of it already discovered. 
• If the light of nature were not darkened in the mat- 
ters of salvation, it would shew us, that we cannot of 
ourselves find out the way of salvation, and would con- 
demn these that despise that revelation of the w^ay of 
salvation that God hath given us in the gospel, declared 
in the holy scriptures. The great end of preaching the 
gospel, is for '^ the obedience of faith," Rom. i. 5 ; that 
so we may be brought to Christ, and all other obedi- 
ence. Yea, the great end of all revealed doctrines in 
the whole scripture, is, to " make us wise unto salvation 
by faith that is in Christ Jesus," 2 Tim. iii. 15. I'he 
end of the law grjen by Moses., was for " rigjiteousness 
to every one that believeth," Rom. x. 4 ; and Christ 
was that end for righteousness. The moral law itself 
was revealed, in order to our salvation by believing on 
Christ; or else the knowledge of it had nothing availed 
fallen man, that was unable to perform it. Therefore, 
they thcit slight the duty of believing, and account it 



180 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

foolishness, do thereby slight, despise and vilify the 
whole counsel of God revealed in the scripture. The 
law and the gospel, and Christ himself, are become of 
none effect to the salvation of such. The only fruit that 
^uch a one can attain to, by all the saving doctrines of 
the scriptures, is only some hypocritical moral duties^ 
and slavish performances^ which will be :xb filthy rags^ 
in the sight of God, in the great day. However, many 
mind not the sin of unbelief in their self-examinations, 
and write it not in their scrolls ; yet, let them know, 
that this is the most pernicious sin of all. All the sins 
in their scrolls would not prevail in their condemnation ; 
yea, thej^ v/ould not prevail in their conversation, were 
it not for their unbelief. This one sin prevailing, mak- 
eth it hnpossihle for them to please God in any duty 
whatsoever, Heb. xi. 6. If you will not mind this one 
main sin now, God will at last mind you of it with a 
vengeance : for, ^^ he that believeth not on the Son, shall 
not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him," 
John ill. 37. '^ The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 
heaven in flaming lire, taking vengeance on those that 
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," 2 Thess. 
i. 7, 8. 

2. Believing' on Christy is a work that will require di- 
ligent endeavour and labour for the performance of it. 
We must " labour to enter into that rest, lest any man 
fall by unbelief," Heb. iv. 11. " We must shew dili- 
gence to the full assurance of hope to the end, that we 
may be followers of them who through faith and pa- 
tience inherit the promises," Heb. vi. 11, 12. It is a 
work that requireth the exercise of might and power ; 
and therefore we have need to " be strengthened with 
might by the Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may 
dwell in our hearts |3y faith," Eph. iii. 16, 17. I con- 
fess, it is easy, pleasant and delicious in its own nature, 
because it is a motion of the heart, without any cum- 
bersome bodily labour ; and it is a taking Christ and his 
salvation as our oxvn^ which is very comfortable and de-* 
lightful ; and the soul is carried fordi in this, by love to 



OF SANCTIFICATION. isi 

Christ and its own happiness, which is an affection that 
maketh even hard works easy and pleasant : yet it is 
made difficult to us, by reason of the opposition that it 
meets with from our own inward corruptions, and from 
Satan's temptations. 

It is no easy matter to receive Christ, as our happi- 
ness and free salvation, with true confidence and lively 
affection, when the guilt of sin lieth heavily upon the 
conscience, and the wrath of God is manifested by the 
word and terrible judgments ', especially when we have 
been long accustomed to seek salvation by the procure- 
ment of our own works, and to account the way of sal- 
vation by free grace, foolish and pernicious ; when our 
lusts incline us strongly to the things of the flesh and 
the world ; when Gat-an doth his utmost, by his own 
suggestions, and by false teachers, and by wordly allure- 
ments and terrors, to hinder the sincere performance of 
this duty* 

Many works that are easy in their own nature, prove _^ 
difficult for us to perform in our circumstances. To 
•forgive our enemies, and to love them as ourselves, is 
but a motion of the mind, easy to be performed in its 
6v/n nature ; and yet many that are convinced of their 
duty, find it a hard matter to bring their hearts to the 
performance of it* It is but a motion of the mind, to 
cast our care upon him for wordly things, and rich men 
may think they can do it easily ; but poor men that have 
great families, find it a hard matter. That easy com- 
fortable duty, which Moses exhorted the Israelites to, 
v/hen Pharaoh, with his chariots and ht)rsemen over- 
took them at the Red Sea, '' fear ye not ; stand still, 
and see the salva.tion of the Lord, which he v\^ill shev/ 
* to you to-day ,'' Exod. xiv. 1 3. was not easily performed. 
The very easiness of some duties makes their perform- 
ance difficult; as Naaman the PSyrian was hardly brought 
to ivash and be clean^ because he thought it to be too 
slight and easy a remedy for the cure of his leprosy, 
2 Kings V. 12, 13. Even in this very case, people are 
offended at the duty of believing' on Christy as too slight 

P 



182 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

and easy a remedy to cure the leprosy of the soul ; 
they would have some harder thing enjoined them, to 
the attainment of so great an end as this everlasting 
salvation. The performance of all the moral law is 
not accounted work enough for this end, Mattli. xix» 
ir, 20. 

However easy the work of believing seemeth to»»many, 
yet common experience hath shewed, that men are 
more easily brought to the most burdensome, unreason- 
able, and inhuman observations ; as the Jews and Chris- 
tian Galatians were more easily brought to take upon 
their necks the yoke of Moses' law, which none were 
able to bear^ Acts xv. 10. The heathens were more 
easily brought to burn their sons and daughters in the 
fir€ to their gods, Deut. xii. 31 . The papists are brought 
more easily to their vows of chastity and poverty, and 
obedience to the most rigorous rules of monastic disci- 
pline ; to macerate and torture their bodies with fast- 
ings, scourgings and pilgrimage ; and to bear all the 
excessive tyranny of the papal hierarchy, in a multitude 
of burdensome, superstitious and ridiculous devotions. 
They that slight the work of faith for its easiness, 
shew, that they were never yet made sensible of innu- 
merable sins, and the terrible curse of the law and wrath 
of God that they lie under ; and of the darkness and 
vanity of their minds, the corruption and hardness of 
their hearts, and their bondage under the power of sin 
and Satan ; and have not been truly humbled ; without 
v/hich they cannot believe in a right manner. Many 
sound believers have found by experience, that it hath 
been a very hard matter to bring their hearts to the 
duty of believing ; it hath cost them vigorous struggles 
and sharp conflicts with their own corruptions, and Sa- 
tan's temptations. It is so difficult a work, that we can- 
not perform it without the mighty working of the Spi- 
rit of God in our hearts, who only can make it to be 
absolutely easy to us, and doth make it easy, or suffer 
it to be difficult, according as he pleased to communi- 
cate his grace in various degrees unto our souls. 



OF SAACTIFICATION. 183 

3. Though we cannot possibly perform this great 
work in a right manner^ until the Spirit of God 7:;^ry4 
faith in our hearts by his mighty power ; yet it is ne- 
cessary that we should endeavour it : and that before 
we can find the Spirit of God xvorking faith effectually 
in us, or giving us strength to believe. We can per- 
form no holy duty acceptably^ except the Spirit of God 
work it in us ; and yet we are not hereby excused from 
working ourselves, but we are the rather stirred vip to 
the greater diligence ; '^ work out yowr salvation with 
fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you 
both to will and to do of his good pleasure," Phil. ii. 
12. The way whereby the Spirit works truth in the 
elect, is by stirring them up to endeavour to believe. 
And this is the way suitable to the means that the Spi- 
rit useth ; i. e. the exhortations, commands, and invita- 
tions of the gospel; which would be of no force ^ if we 
were not to obey them, until we find faith already 
wrought in us. Neither can we possibly find, th^t the 
Spirit of God doth eflpectually ivork faith, or give 
strength to believe, until we act it ; for all inward graces., 
as well as all other inward habits, are discerned by their 
aj:ts, as seed in the ground by its springing. We can- 
not see any such thing as love to God or man in our 
hearts before ^yq act it. Children know not their ability 
to stand upon their feet, until they have made trial, by 
endeavouring so to do ; so we know not our spiritual 
strength^ until we have learned by experience from the 
use and exercise of it. Neither can v/e know, or as- 
sure ourselves absolutely, that the Spirit of God will 
give us strength to believe^ before we act faith ; for such 
a knowledge and assurance, if it be right, is saving faith 
itself in part ; and whosoever trusteth on Christ assur- 
edly for strength to believe by his Spirit, doth, in eflfect, 
trust on Christ for his own salvation, which is insepa- 
rably joined with; the grace of saving faith. Though 
the Spirit worketh other duties in us by faith;. yet he 
worketh faith. in us immediately by hearing, knowing, 
*nd understanding the word: " faith cometh by hear;- 



184 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

ing, and hearing by the word of God,'^ Rom. x. 17. 
And^ in the word, he maketh no absolute promise or 
declaration, that he will work faith in this or that un- 
believing heart, or that he will give strength to believe 
to any one in particular ; or begin the work of believing 
in Christ ; for, faith itself is the first grace whereby we 
have a particular interest in any saving promise. It is 
a thing hidden in the secret counsel and purpose of 
God concerning us, whether he will give us his Spirit 
and saving faith, until our election be discovered by 
our believing actually. Therefore, as soon as we know 
the duty of believing, we are to apply ourselves directly 
to the vigorous performance of the duty ; and, in so do- 
ing, %ve shall find, that the Spirit of Christ hath strength- 
ened vts to believe, though we know not certainly y that 
he v/ill do it beforehand. The Spirit cometh indiscern- 
ably upon the elect to work faith in them ; like the wind 
tha.t bloweth where it lists, and none knoweth w^hence 
it cometh, and whither it goeth, but only we hear the 
sound of it, and thereby know it, when it is past and 
gone, John iii. 8. 

We must therefore first begin the work, before we 
know, that the Spirit doth, or will work in us savingly ; 
and we shall be willing to set upon the work, if we be 
Christ's people ; for, " thy people shall be willing in 
the day of thy power," Psal. ex. 3. It is enough that 
God discovereth beforehand, in the gospel, what faith 
is, and the ground we have to believe on Christ for 
our own salvation ; and that God requireth this duty of 
us, and^v/ill help us in the performance of it, if we ap- 
ply ourselves heartily thereunto : " fear not, I command 
thee 5 be strong, and of good courage," Josh. i. 6. 
" Arise, and be doing ; and the Lord will be with thee," 
1 Chron. xxii. 16. Therefore, whoso rcceiveth this 
gospel discovery, as the word of God, in hearty love, 
is taught by the Spirit, and will certainly " come to 
Christ by believing," John vi. 45. Every one that re- 
ceiveth it not, despiseth God, maketh him a liar, and 
dcserveth justly to perish for his unbelief. 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 1^5 

4; Though the Spirit worketh saving faith only in 
the elect, and others believe not, because they are not 
of Chrisfs shcep^ John x. 26 ; and, on that account, it 
is called the " faith of God's elect," 1 Tit. i. 1 ; yet all 
that hear the gospel, are obliged to the duty of believ- 
ing, as well as to all the duties of the moral law, and 
that before they know their election : and they are liable 
to condemnation for unbeliefs as well as for any other sin : 
'' he that believeth not, is condemned already, because 
he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten 
Son of God," John iii. 18. The apostle Paul shev/eth^ 
that the elect Israelites obtained salvation, and the rest 
that were not elected, were blinded ; and yet even these 
were " broken off from the good olive-tree," because 
of their unbelief Rom. xi. 7, 23. We cannot have a 
certain knowledge of our election to eternal life before 
we do believe ; it is a thing hidden in the unsearchable 
counsel of God, until it be manifest by our effectual 
calling, and believing on Christ. The apostle knew the 
election of the Thessalonians, by finding the evidence 
of their faith, that the gospel came to thevi^ not in -word 
only^ but also " in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and 
in much assurance; and that they had received the 
word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Ghost," 
1 Thess. i. 4, 5, 6. We are to see our callings if we 
would find out, that God hath chosen us^ 1 Cor. I. 26, 
27. Therefore, we must believe on Christ before we 
know our election, or else we shall never know it, and 
shall never believe. And it is no presumption for us 
lo trust confidently on Christ, for everlasting life, i^^ re 
we have any good evidence of our election ; because 
God, that cannot lie, hath made a general promise, 
^' that whosoever believeth on him shall not be asham- 
ed," without making the least difference amongst them 
that perform this duty, Ilom. x. 11, 12. The promise 
is as firm, and sure to be fulfilled, as any of God's de- 
crees and purposes; and therefore it is a good and %^i- 
ficitnt ground for our confideiice. It is certain, that all 
that the Father hath given to Christ, by the decree of 

P 2 



186 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

eternal election, shall come to Christ ; and it is as really 
certain, that " Christ will in no wise cast out any that 
Cometh to him,'^ whosoever he be, John vi. S7. And 
we need not fear, that we shall infrtng'e Grod^s decree 
of election, by believing on Christ confidently for our 
salvation^ before v/e knov/ what God hath decreed con- 
cerning us ; for^ if we believe, we shall at last be found 
^.mong the number of the elect ; and, if we refuse to be- 
lieve, we shall thereby wilfully sort ourselves among the 
reprobates, '^ that stumble at the word, being disobe- 
dient, whereunto also they are appointed,'^ 1 PeU ii* 8. 

I shaU add further, that though we have no evidence 
of our panituLar election before we believe ; yet we are 
to trust on Christ assuredly, to make it evident to us^ 
by giving u>3 that salvation which is the peculiar portion 
of the elect only>> All spiritual saving blessings^ where- 
with God blesseth his people in Christ, are the peculiar 
portion of them whom " God hath chosen, in Christ, 
before the foundation of the world," Eph^ i. 3, 4 ; 
yet we must necessarily trust on Christ for those saving 
blessings, or have none at alL We are to pray in faith, 
nothing doubting, that God will *' remember us with 
the favour that he beareth to his people ; that we may 
see the good of his chosen, and glory with his inherit- 
ance^''' Psal. cvi. 4, 5. Therefore we art to trust assur- 
edly on God, that he will deal with /us as his chosen peo- 
ple. Thus it appeareth that it is not presumption, but 
-your bounden duty^ to apply yom^elves to the great 
vfork oibelitving on Christ for salvation^ without ques- 
tioning at all beforehand, whether ypu are elected or 
no : *^ Secret things belong to God, but those things that 
are revealed^ belong unto uS;, that we may do them,^* 
Deut. xxix* 29. 

The SECOND thing directed to is, that you shall en- 
deavour for a right manner of performing this dut}7:. 
This is a point of great concernment, because the want 
of it will render your faith ineffectual to sanctification 
and salvation. The great duty oilove^ which is the efid 
nftlielaxvj and the principal fruit of sanctification, must 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX. 187 

flow {rom faith unfeigned^ 1 Tim. i. 5. There is 2i feign- 
ed faith, that doth not really receive Christ into the 
heart, and will not produce love, or any true obedience ; 
such as Simon Magus had, Acts vlii. 13, 23 ; for, not- 
withstanding his faith, he was in ^^ the gall of bitterness, 
and in the bond of iniquity ;'^ and such as those Jev/s 
had, to whom Christ would not commit himsefy who 
*^ did not confess him, lest they should be put out of 
the synagogue," John ii. 23. and xii. 42 ; and such as 
the apostle James speaks of, " what doth it profit, my 
brethren, if a man say he hath faith, and have not works ? 
•Can that faith save him i The devils also believe and 
tremble,'^ James ii* 14, 19. Take heed, therefore, lest 
you deceive your own souls with a coimterfeit faiths in- 
stead of the precious faith of God'^s elect. 

The way to distinguish the one from the other, is, by 
considering well what is the 7^ight manner of that be- 
lieving which is effectual to salvation. Hypocrites may 
perform the same works for th€ matter^ with true saints ; 
but they are defective in the m«?^7^^r of performance, 
wherein the excellency of the work doth chiefly consist* 
One great reason why many ^^ seek to enter in at the 
strait gate, and are not able,^' Luke xiii« 24. is, because 
they are ignorant and defective in the right manner of 
acting this faith whereby we are to enter. Now, I con- 
fess, that tiod is only able to guide us effectually in the 
right way of believingo And we have this great con- 
solation, when we see our own folly and proneness to 
mistake our v/ay, and if we heartily desire and endea- 
vour to believe on Christ aright^ we may confidently 
trust on Christ to guide us. God hath promised, that 
" the way-faring men, though fools, shall not err" in 
the way of holiness ; and that " he will teach sinners" 
in the way; the meek will he guide in judgment, and 
the meek will he teach his way,^' Psal. xxv. 8, 9 ; and 
he commandeth them that seek xuisdom^ to ask it of 
" God in faith, nothing doubting," Jam. i. 5, 6. But, 
however, we are to know, that God guideth us only to 
the rule of his word 5 a-nd v/e must endeavour to learn 



188 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

the right way of believing out of the word, or else we 
are not able so much as to trust rightly on God for 
guidance and direction in this great work. 

To help you herein, I have given you before, in this 
treatise, a description of saving- faith ; and have shewed 
that it contains txuo acts in it : the one is, believing the 
truth of the gospel; the oth^vi^^ believing on Christ as 
revealed to us^ and freely promised to us in the gospel^ for 
all his salvation. Now, your great endeavour must be, 
to perform (^^^/i these acts in a right manner ; as I shall 
shew concerning each of them in particular. 

In ih^ first place, you are highly concerned to endea- 
YOMxiov ^ right belief of the truth of the gospel of Christ ; 
that so you may be well furnished, disposed and encou- 
raged to believe on Christ, as revealed and promised in 
the gospel. Hereby you are to remove all discomforta- 
ble thoughts and objections of Satan, and your own con- 
science, and to overcome all corrupt inclinations, that 
hinder a cheerful embracing of Christ and his salvation. 
It is found, by experience, that when any fail in the 
second act of faith, the reason of the failing is com- 
monly some defect in this first act. There is some 
false imagination or other in them, contrary to the be- 
lief of the truth of the gospel ; which is a strong hold 
of sin and Satan, that must be pulled down, before they 
can receive Christ into their hearts by believing on him* 
If they knew the name of Christ, as he is discovered 
in the gospel, and judged aright of the truth and ex- 
cellency of it, they certainly would not fail to put their 
trust in him. And we are in great danger of enter- 
taining such false imaginations, and to account many 
truths of the gospel strange paradoxes, yea, foolish and 
pernicious, because of our ignorance or self-conceited- 
ness guilty consciences, corrupt affections, and mani- 
fold errors, wherewith our judgments are prepossessed 
in matters of salvation ; and because Satan laboureth 
to beguile us^ as he did Eve, " through his subtilty, to 
corrupt our minds from the simplicity" of the gospel 
*^ that is in Christ/^ 2 Cor. xi. 3. I shall therefore give 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 189 

you some particular Instructions, that are of the great- 
est moment^ to prevent such defects as we are most 
liable to in the first act of our faith. 

1. You must believe, with a full persuasion^ that you 
are a child of wrath by 7iature^ as well as others; fallen 
from God by the sin of the first Adam ; dead in tres- 
passes and sins ; subject to the curse of the law of God, 
and to the power of Satan, and to insupportable misery 
to all eternity ; and that you cannot possibly procure 
your reconciliation with God, or any spiritual life and 
strength to do any good work, by any endeavouring to 
get salvation according to terms of the legal covenant ; 
and that you cannot find any way to escape out of this 
sinful and miserable condition, by your own reason and 
understanding, without supernatural revelation, nor be 
freed from it, but by him that raiseth the dead. We 
must not be afraid, as some are, to know our own vile- 
ness and sinfulness, neither must we be willing to think 
ourselves better than w-e are | but must be heartily de- 
sirous and glad to know the worst of our own condition; 
yea, when v/e have found out the worst that we can of 
ourselves, we must be willing to believe, that " our 
hearts are deceitful, aud desperately wicked," beyond 
all that we can know and find out, Jer. xvii. 9. This 
is all necessary, to work in us true humiliation, self-des- 
pair and self-loathing, that we may highly esteem, and 
earnestly seek the salvation of Christ, as the one thing 
necessary^ It maketh us sick of sin, and sensible of our 
need of the great physician, and willing to be ordered 
according to any of his prescriptions, whatsoever we 
sufier, rather than to follow our own wisdom, Mat. ix. 
12. It was for want of this humiliation that the Scribes 
and Pharisees were not so forward to enter into the 
kingdom of heaven, as the publicans and harlots. Mat. 
xxi. '^^. 

2. You are to believe assuredly^ that there is no way 
to be saved, without receiving all the saving benefits of 
Christ; his Spirit as well as his merits^ sanctification as 
well as remission of ^ins, by faith. It is the ruin pf 



190 TlIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

many souls, that they trust on Christ for remission of 
sins, without any regard to holiness ; whereas these two 
benefits are inseparably joined in Christ, so that none 
are freed from condemnation by Christ, but those that 
are enabled to walk holily, that is, " not after the flesh, 
but after the Spirit," Rom. viii. 1. It is also the ruin 
of souls, to seek only remission of sins by faith in Christ, 
and holiness by our endeavours, according to the terms 
of the law ; whereas we can never live to God in holi- 
ness, except we be dead to the law, and live only by 
Christ living in us by faith. That faith which receiv- 
eth not holiuess, as well as remission of sins from Christ, 
will never sanctify us ; and therefore it will never bring 
HS to heavenly glory, Heb. xii. 14. 

3. You are to be fully persuaded of the all-siifficiency 
ef Christ for the salvation of yourself and of all that be- 
lieve on him: and that '^ his blood cleanseth from all 
sin," 1 John i. 7. Though our sins be never so great 
and horrible, and continued in ever so long, yet he is 
able to deliver from the body of death, and mortify our 
corruptions, be they never so strong. We find in scrip- 
ture, that abominable wicked persons have been saved 
by him; " idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, covetous, 
drunkards, extortioners," &c. 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10; such as 
have sinned against the light of nature, as the heathens, 
and the light of scripture, as the Jews ; such as have 
denied Christ, as Peter, and persecuted and blasphemed 
him, as Paul. Many, that have fallen into great sins, 
are ruined for ever, because they do not account the 
grace of Christ sufficient for their pardon and sanctifica- 
tion ; when they think they are gone, ^nd past all hope 
of recovery ; that " their sins are upon them, and they 
pine away in them, how shall they live ?" Ezek- xxxiii. 
10. This despair works secretly in many souls, with- 
out much trouble and horror, and maketh them care- 
less of their souls and true religion. The Devil fills 
some with horrid, filthy, blasphemous thoughts, on pur- 
pose, that they may think their sins too great to be for- 
given ; though commonly such thoughts, are the leas^t 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 191 

t)f the sins of those that are pestered with them, and 
rather the Dtvirs sin than theirs, because they are hur- 
ried into them sore against their wills ; but, if their 
hearts be somewhat polluted within them, Christ testifi- 
eth, th-at " all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be for- 
given, except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," 
Mat. xii. 31. And, as for those that are guilty of blas- 
phemy against the Holy Ghost, the reason they are 
never forgiven, is not because of any want oi sufficiency 
in the hlood of Christy or in the pardoning- mercy of God; 
but because they never rapent of that sin, and never seek 
to God for mercy through Christ, but continue obsti- 
nate until death ; for the scripture testifieth, that '' it is 
impossible to renew them again unto repentance," Heb. 
vi. 5, 6. So that the merits of Christ are sufficient for 
all that seek to him for mercy by believing. 

There are others that despair of ever getting any vic- 
tory over their lusts, because they have formerly made 
many vows and resolutions, and have used many vigor- 
ous endeavours against them in vain. Such are to per- 
suade themselves, that the grace of Christ is sufficient 
for them, when all other means have failed ; as the wo- 
man that had the issue of blood, and was nothing bet- 
tered, but rather grew worse by any remedies that phy- 
sicians could prescribe, yet persuaded herself, that, if 
she might but ^^ touch the clothes of Christ, she should 
be whole," Mark v. 25—28. Those that despair, by 
reason of the greatness of their guilt and corruption, do 
greatly dishonour and undervalue the grace of God, his 
infinite mercy, and the infinite merits of Christ's blood, 
and power of his Spirit, and deserve to perish with Cain 
and Judas. Abundance of people, that give up them- 
selves to all licentiousness, in this wicked generation, 
lie under secret despair ; which maketh them so despe- 
rate in swearing, blaspheming, whoring, drunkenness, 
and all manner of wickedness. How horrid and hein- 
ous soever our sins and corruptions have been, we 
should leani to account them a small matter in compa- 
rison to the grace of Christ, who is God as well as man, 



192 TJHe GOSPEL KIYSTEilY 

and offered up himself, by the eternal Spirit, as a sacri 
ficeof infinite value, for our salvation ; and can create 
us anew as easily as he created the world by a word 
speaking. 

4. You are to be fully persuaded of the truth of the 
general free promise^ in your own particular case^ that if 
you believe on Christ sincerely^ you shall have ei^rlasting 
life J as well as any other in the world, without perform- 
ing any condition of works to procure an interest in 
Christy for the promise is universal ; " whosoever be- 
Meveth on him, shall not be ashamed," Rom. ix. ZZ* 
without any exception. And, if God exclude you not, 
you must not exclude yourselves; but rather conclude 
peremptorily, that how vile, wricked and unworthy so- 
ever you be, yet, if you come, you shall be accepted as 
well as any others in the world. You are to believe 
that great article in the creed, the remission of sins ^m 
your oxvn case^ when you are principally concerned, or 
else it will little profit you, to believe it in th^ case of 
others. This is that which hinders many broken wound^ 
ed spirits from coming to the great physician, when 
they are convinced of the abominable filthiness of their 
ov/n hearts, and that they are dead in sin, without the 
least spark of true grace and holiness in them. They 
think that it is in vain, for such as they are, to trust on 
Christ for salvation; and that Christ w^ill never save 
such as they are. Why so ? they can be but lost crea- 
tures at worst; and Christ c^^me ta seek and save those 
that are lost* If they that are dead in sin, cannot be 
saved, then all must despair and perish ; for none have 
any spiritual life, until they receive it by believing on 
Christ. 

Some think themselves to be worse than others, and 
that none have such wicked hearts as they ; anil though 
others be accepted, yet they shall be rejected.^ But 
they should know, that '' Christ came to save the chief 
of sinners," 1 Tim. i. 15. And that the design of God 
is to " shew the exceeding riches of grace" in our sal- 
tation, Eph. ii. 7. which is most glorified by pardon- 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 193 

iiig the greatest sinners. And it is but our ignorance^ 
to think ourselves like nobody ; for all others, as well 
as we, are naturally " dead in trespasses and sins ; their 
mind is enmity to God, and is not subject to his law^ 
nor indeed can be," Rom. viii. 7 ; and ^^ every imagina- 
tion of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil and 
continually so," Gen. vi. 5 ; they have all the same cor- 
rupt fountain of all abominations in their hearts, though 
we may have exceeded many others in several actiial 
sins. Others think that ihey have out-stayed their time, 
and therefore now they should " find no place for re- 
pentance, though they should seek it carefully with 
tears," Heb. xii. 17. But, " behold, now is the ac- 
cepted time ,• behold, now is the day of salvation," 2 
Cor. vi. 2. even as long as God calleth upon you by the 
gospel. And, although Esau was rejected, who sought 
rather the earthly than the spiritual blessings of the 
birthright, yet they shall not be rejected, that seek the 
enjoyment of Christ, and his salvation, as their only 
happiness. If you come into Christ's vineyard at the 
eleventh hour of the day, you shall have your penny, 
as well as those that came early in the morning ; be- 
cause " the reward is of grace^ not of merit,'^ Mat. xx. 
% 10. And here you must be sure to believe stedfastly, 
that Christ, and all his salvation, is bestowed as a free 
gift upon those that do not work to procure any right 
or title to him, or meetness or worthiness to receive 
hiin, but only " believe on him that justifieth the un- 
godly," Rom. iv. 5. If you put any condition of works, 
or good qualifications, between yourself and Christ, it 
will be a partition-wall which you can never climb over. 
5. You are to believe assuredly, that it is the rvi/l of 
God you should believe in Christ, and have eternal life 
by him, as well as any other ; and that your believing 
IS a duty very acceptable to God ; and that he will help 
you, as well as any other, in this work, because he 
calleth and commandeth you, by the gospel, to believe 
m Christ. This maketh us to set cheerfully upon the 
work of believing ; as when Jesus commanded the blmd 

Q 



194 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

man to be called, they said unto him, " be of good com- 
fort, rise ; he call^th thee," Mark x. 49. A command 
of Christ made Peter to walk upon the water. Mat. 
xiv. 29. And here we are not to meddle with God's 
secret of predestination ; or ih^ purpose of his will^ to 
give the grace of faith to some rather than to others ; 
but only with his revealed will^ in his gracious invita- 
tions and commands, by which we are required to be- 
lieve on Christ. This will of God is confirmed by his 
oath ; " as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no plea- 
sure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked 
turn from his way, and live ; turn ye, turn ye from your 
evil ways ; for, why w ill ye die, O house of Israel ?" 
Ezek. xxxiii, 11. Christ testifieth, that " he would 
often have gathered the children of Jerusalem, even as 
a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and they 
would not," Mat. xxiii. 37. And the apostle Paul tes- 
tifieth, that God " will have all men to be saved," &c. 
1 Tim. ii. 4. Y^ou are to reject and abandon all thoughts 
that are contrary to this persuason. What if few be 
saved ? thy salvation wull not make the number too 
great J for few will follow thee in the duty of believing. 
Wha^t if the wrath of God be revealed from heaven 
against thee in many terrible judgments ; and the word, 
and thiue own conscience condemn thee, and Christ 
seem to reckon thee no better than a dog^ as he did the 
" j^rmn^ai of Canaan," Mat. xv. 16. Thou art to make 
a good interpretation of all these things, that the end of 
them is, to drive thee to Christy as this was the end of 
the curses of the law, and all the terrible dispensations 
of them, Rom. x. 4. If a prophet, or an angel from 
heaven were sent of God, on purpose to- declare, that 
the sentence of everlasting damnation is declared against 
thee ; it would be thy duty to believe, that God sent 
him to give thee timely warning, for this very end, that 
thou mightest believe^ and t^irn to God by faith and re^ 
pentance. Jeremiah prophesied against the Jews, that 
God would " pluck them up, pull them down, and de- 
stroy them for their sins ;" yet he himself taught them, 



OF SANCTIFICATION- 195 

*' if they turned from their evil ways, God would re- 
pent him of the evil," Jer. xviii. 7, 8, 1 1. Jonah preach- 
ed nothing but certain destruction to Nineveh, to be 
executed upon them within forty days, chap. iii. 4 ; yet 
the intent of that terrible message was, that those hea- 
thenish people might escape destruction by repentance. 

The most absolute and peremptory denunciations of 
divine vengeance against us, while we are in this world, 
must be always understood with a secret reserve of 
salvation for us, upon our faith and repentance. And 
we are to account, that the reason why God doth so 
terribly denounce his judgments against us by his word, 
is, that we may escape them, by flying for refuge to his 
free mercy in Christ. Take heed of fostering any such 
thoughts, that God hath absolutely decreed to shevv^ no 
saving mercy to you, or tliat you have already commit- 
ted the unpardonable sin ; or, that it is in vain for you 
to attempt the work of believing, because God will not 
help you in it. If such thoughts prevail in your hearts, 
they will do you more hurt than the most blasphemous 
thoughts that terrify you, or any the grossest abomina- 
tions that ever you were guilty of, because they obstruct 
your believing on Christ for salvation. The Spirit and 
the bride say^ come, Christ saith, " whosoever will, 
let him take the water of life freely," Rev. xxii. 17* 
Therefore, we are to abandon all thoughts that hinder 
our coming to Christ, as very sinful and pernicious, 
arising in us from our own corruptions, and Satan's de- 
lusions, and utterly opposite to the mind of Christ, and 
teachings of his Spirit. 

And what ground can we have to entertain such un- 
believing thoughts ? Hath God made us of his privy- 
council, that we should be able to know that God hath 
decreed us to damnation, before it be manifest by our 
final unbelief and impenitence ? As for the unpardon- 
able sin, it consisteth ^' in renouncing the way of salva- 
tion by Christ with the whole heart, after we have at- 
tained to the knowledge of it, and are convinced of the 
truth of it by the gospel." It is a sin that the christi^'-' 



196 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

Hebrews would have been guilty of, if they had revolt- 
ed from Christianity to the religion of the unbelieving 
Jews, that accounted Christ to be an impostor, and 
were most rancorous persecutors of him and his ways, 
Heb. vi. 4, 5. 'J'hey that have committed that sin, con- 
tinue implacable, malicious enem.ies to Christ and his 
ways, to the end, without any repentance. Therefore, 
if you can but find, that you desire seriously to get 
an interest in Christ, and to be better christians than 
you are ; if you be troubled and grieved, that your 
hearts and lives are so wicked, and that you want faith, 
love and true obedience ; yea, if your hearts be not 
maliciously bent to persecute the gospel, and prefer 
atheism, licentiousness, or any false religion before it ; 
you have no cause to suspect yourselves to be guilty of 
this unpardonable sin, 

6. Add to all these^ ?i full persuasion of the incompa- 
rable glorious excellency of Christy and of the way of sal- 
vation by him. You are to esteem the enjoyment of 
Christ as the only salvation and true happiness, and 
such a happiness as hath in it unsearchable riches and 
glory, and will make our cup to run over with exceed- 
ing abundance of peace, and joy, and glory, to all eter- 
nity. We must ^^ account all things but loss for the 
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord,^* 
&c. Phil, iii, 8. Such 2t, persuasion asthis^ will allure 
and incline your wills and affections to choose and em^ 
brace Christ as the chief good, andnever to rest satis- 
fied without the enjoyment of him ; and to reject every 
thing that stands in competition with him, or the en^ 
joyment of him. Christ is precious in^he esteem of aU 
true believers^ 1 Pet. ii. 7. Their high esteem of his 
incomparable preciousncss and excellency, induceth 
them to sell all^ that they may ^' buy this pearl of great 
price," Mat. xiii. 46, This maketh them to say, *' Lord^ 
evermore give us this bread, that cometh do^v^ from 
heaven, and giveth life to the world. Lord, to whom 
shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life," John 
vi. 33, 345 68« ^^ Because of the savour of hi* good 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 197 

ointments, his name is as ointment poured forth ; there- 
fore do the virgins love him," Song i. 3. They are 
*' sick of love to him," because he is, in their eyes, 
^' the chiefest among ten thousand," Song v. 8, 10. 

As the glory of God, that appeared in the wonderful 
beauty of the temple, and in the wonder and glory of 
Solomon, drew worshippers to God from the utmost 
parts of the earth, so the unparalleled excellency of 
Christ, which was prefigured by the glory of Solomon 
and the temple, doth more powerfully draw believers 
in these gospel days. The Devil, who is the god of 
this world, knows how necessary it is for our salvation ^ 
to discern all the glory and excellency of Christ ; and 
therefore, where the gospel is preached, he maketh it 
his great work to eclipse the glory of Christ >i the 
tninistry, and to blind the minds of the people, " lest 
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine 
int6 them," 2 Cor. iv. 4. One that is convinced of the 
truth of thfe gospel, may be averse to the embracing of 
it until he see also the goodness of it, that Christ is 
altogether lovely and excellent* 

I come now to " the second principal act of faith, 
whereby Christ himself, and his Spirit, and all his sav- 
ing benefits, are actually received in the heart, which 
is believing' on Christy as revealed aod freely promised 
to us in the gospel, for all his salvation." The Spirit 
of God doth habitually dispose and incline our hearts 
to a right performance of this act^ by enabling us to 
perform the first act, according to the former instruc- 
tions, by believing assuredly those great' things of the 
gospel, whereby we are delivered into a '' form of doc- 
trine," Rom. vi. 17. which we are to obey, from our 
hearts, and to follow as our pattern, in the manner of 
our acting faith in Christ for salvation. Therefore, I 
need only exhort you briefly to act your faith in Christ 
according to that form and pattern, in which you have 
been so largely instructed. You are to believe in Christ 
as alone siijjicient^ and all 'Sufficient for o\ir happiness and 
salvation; despairing altogether for any attainment of 

<42 



198 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

happiness by our own wisdom, strength and works of 
righteousness, or j^ny fleshly, worldly confidences what- 
ever. We must be as dead people to all other confi- 
dences, and account them to be loss far Christy accord- 
ing to the example of the blessed apostle, Phil. iii. 3^ 
7, 8* We must not be grieved, that we have nothing 
to trust upon, besides Christ, for our salvation ; but ra- 
ther we are to rejoice, that we need nothing else, and 
that we have a sure foundation to rely upon, incompa- 
rably better than any other that can be imagined. And 
We must resolve to cast the burden of our souls wholly 
on Christ, and to seek salvation no other way, whatso- 
ever becomes of us. 

If the cripple lay not the whole weight of his bodjr 
upon a strong staff, but part of it upon a rotten one, he 
is like to receive a fall. If the swimmer will not com- 
mit his body wholly to the water to bear him up, but 
catch at weeds, or struggle to feel out ground, he may 
sink ^o the bottom. Christ will be all our salvation, or 
nothihg. - If we seek to be saved any other way, as the 
Galatians did, by ^^ circunacision, Christ will profit ua 
nothing,*^^Gal. v. 2. -^ -t 

n You are' also to receive Christ, merely as a free gift^ 
giveuto the chief of sinners, resolving that you will 
not perform any conditions, to procure yourselves d 
right and title to him ; but that you will come to him 
as a lost sinner, an ungodly creature^ trusting on him 
that justijieth the ungodly : and that you will buy him 
without money ^ and without ^uy price whatsoever, Rom. 
iv. 5. Isa. Iv. 2. Look not on your faith or love, or 
any good qualifications in yourselves, as the grounds c^ 
your trusting in Christ, but only to the free grace and 
loving kindness of God in Christ : " How excellent is 
thy loving-kindness, O God ! therefore the children of 
men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings," 
Psal. xxxvi. 7- For, if you make your faith, love, or 
^ood qualifications, to be your first and principal foun- 
dation, and you build Christ upon them, instead of 
building all upon Christ, you invert the order of the 
gospel, and Christ xvill profit you nothing* 



OF SANCTIFICATION. i9» 

Another thing to be observed diligently, is, that you 
must come to Christ for a nexv holy heart and life^ and 
all things necessary thereunto, as well as for aeliver- 
ance from the wrath of God, and the torments of hell. 
You must also come to him with an ardent love and af- 
fection to him, and esteem him better than ten thousand 
worlds, and the only excellent portion, loathing and 
abhorring yourself as a vik^ sinful and miserable crea- 
ture^ and accounting all things dung in comparison of 
his excellency ; that you may be able to say, from the 
bottom of your heart, i^ whom have I in heaven but 
thee ? arid there is none upon earth that I desire besides 
thee,'f Psal. Ixxiii. 25c 

'' JLastly, you must endeavour to draw near with '^ full 
assurance of fa^th,'* Heb. x, 22 ; trusting on Christ con- 
iidently for yotir ejw;z /j^r/ia/for salvation, upon the ac- 
count of that geBeral promise, that " whosoever beliey- 
eth on Christ shall not be ashamed,^* Rom. ix, SS. You 
must then checic yourselves for all doubtiiigs, fears, 
stagge rings, concerning your awn salvation by Christ,, 
saying with the Psalmist, '' why art thou cast down, O 
my soul ? and why art thou disquieted withiii me if ^f &c» 
iPsa. xiii. !!• ' ' ^^ 

The THIRD thing contained in this Direction, is, the 
avoiding all delays in the performance of this great 
workof Z't'/ee^i/?^ in Christ^ Until we have performed 
it, we continue under the power of ain and Satan, and 
under the wrath of God j and there is npthing between 
hell and us, besides the breath of our nostrils* It is 
dangerous for Lot to linger in Sodon^, lest fire and 
brimstone come down from heaven upon bimJ ' The 
manslayer must fly with alt haste to the city of refuge, 
" lest the avenger of blood pursue him, while his heart 
is hot, and slay him,^' Deut. xix. 5, 6. We should 
" make haste, and not delay, to keep God's command- 
ments," Psal. cxix. 60; and "flee for refuge to the 
hope set before us," Heb, vi. 18. AiA God command- 
ieth us to flee thus by faith, without which it is impo^'isi- 
ble to please God in other duties. The work is of aucu 



2©e THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

a nature, that It may be performed as scon as you hear 
the gospel. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey 
me,'' Psal. xviii. 44.. '^ As soon as Zion travailed, she 
brought forth her children," Isa. Ixvi. 8. 

We have many examples of those that received the 
word by faith at the first hearing of it. Three thou- 
sand were added to the church, on the very same day 
wherein Peter first published the gospel in Jerusalem, 
Acts n. 42. Many Jews and tr entiles were con - 
verted at the first hearing of the apostle Paul at Anti- 
och. Acts xiii. 48. The jailer and all his household 
believed, and w^ere baptized, the same night whereia 
Paul first preached to them. Acts xvi. 33, 34. ITic 
gospel came at first to the Thessalonian^, " not in word 
only, but in powder, and in the Holy Ghost," 1 Thess. i. 
5, 6. If God open the hearts of his people to attend 
diligently, they maybe instructed in the knowledge of 
the gospel by one brief sermon suflBciently^to begin the 
practice of saving faith. And, when they know their 
duty, God requireth immediate perfoxinance, without- 
allowing us the least respite in the state of unbelief. 

When Satan-cannot prevail with people to reject thd 
duty of believing wholly, his next attempt for the ruin 
of their souls, is to prevail with them at least to delay 
and shift off the performance of it, from time to time, 
by several false reasonings and imaginations which he 
putteth into their minds. The most ignorant and sen- 
sual are easily prevailed with to defer this duty, until 
they take their fill of the pleasures, profits and honours 
of this world, and are summoned to prepare for another 
Vv orld, by infirmities, age, sickness ; praying and hop- 
ing, that a large time of repentance will be granted' 
Unto them before they die. But such delays shew^, that 
they are really unwilling to repent and believe, «iuitil 
they are forced by necessity ; and that they prefer the 
pleasures, profit and honours of the -^vorld above God, 
and Christ, and their own souls. Thus ;hey ur-fit :hem- 
seives more and more for this great duty, by their cus- 
tomary walking in sin> and by misspending the precious 



GF SANCTIFICATION. 201 

time of their health and strength, which is most meet 
for the performance of this great work. They highly 
provoke God never to give them time or grace to re- 
pent thereof. 

Others imagine, that after they have heard the gos?- 
pel of salvation by Christ, they may lawfully defer the 
believing it, until they have sufficiently examined the 
truth of some other different doctrines, or until God be 
pleased to afford them some other means, to assure them 
fully of the truth of the gbspeL Thus they that are 
called seekers misspend the day of grace ; " ever learn- 
ing, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth,'^ 
2 Tim. iii. 7. But the truth of the gospel doth so 
clearly evidence itself by its own light, that, if people 
do not wilfully shut their eyes, or blind themselves by 
their own pride, and love their lusts, they wbuld easily 
perceive, that it is the truth of God ; because the image 
of his grace, mercy, power, justice and holmes^, appear 
manifestly engraven upon it. It is a sign people are 
proud, when they consent not to the words of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and to " the doctrine which is according 
to godliness," 1 Tim. vi. 3. If they were humble, and 
sincerely inclined to do the will of God, they " would 
know whether the doctrine be of God or no,'' John vii« 
17; they would quickly be persuaded of the truth, by 
Moses and the prophets, Christ and the apostles, spoken 
to them in the scripture. And, if they will not hear 
them, neither will they be " persuaded though one 
rose from the dead;" or whatever other miracle be 
wrought, to confirm the divine authority of the gospel, 
Luke xvi. 31. 

Another sort of people there are, that delay the great 
work of believing, to the ruin of their souls, resting in 
an attendance upon the outxvard means of grace and 
salvation, instead of aily endeavours to receive Christ 
by faith, though they be convinced of the truth of the 
gospel. This they call waiting upon God at the doors 
of his grace and salvation, in the use of means appoint- 
ed by him, and sitting under the droppings of the sane- 



202 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

tuary. But, let them know, that this is not the right 
waiting on God required in the scripture. It is rather 
disobedience to God, and to the means of his appoint- 
ment, who requires that we should be " doers of the 
word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves," Jam. 
i, 22 ; and that we should come in to the ^^ spiritual 
feast," Luke xiv, 23 ; and not only stand at the door, 
or sit under the droppings of the house of God, lest 
Christ repute us no better than eve-droppers. That 
holy waiting on the Lord, commended to us in scrip- 
ture, is ever accompanied with believing and hoping in 
the Lord, and invariably dependeth thereon : " I had 
fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the 
Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord ; be 
of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart ; 
wait, I say, on the Lord," Psal. xxvii. 13, 14. '^ It is 
good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait 
for*the salvation of the Lord," Lam. iii. 26. 

What is it that these deluded ones wait for, before 
they perform the duty of believing ? Is it for more 
knowledge of the gospel ? The way to increase thy 
knowledge, as well as thy other talents, is, to make use 
of what thou hast received already. Believe heartily 
on Christ for all thy salvation, according to that little 
knowledge of the gospel which thou hast, and thou wiJt 
have an interest in the promise of knowledge, contain- 
ed in the nev*^ covenant ; '^ they shall all know me, from 
the least to the greatest of them, saith the Lord,''"Jer. 
xxxi. 34. Is it for the appointed time of thy conver- 
sion, that thou waitest ? Then thou waitest, as those 
impotent folk, who lay at the pool of Bethesda, waiting 
for the season when the angel will come down and move 
the water. Know then, that if thou enterest into Christ 
now by faith, thou wilt find in him waters of life^ and 
the Spirit moving them for the healing and the quicken- 
ing of thy soul, God hath appointed, by his word, that 
the present time shall be the time of thy conversion : 
as the Holy Ghost saith," to-day, if thou wilt hear his 
Toice, harden npt thy heart," Heb. iii. 7, 8. And thou 



OF SANCTIFICATION: 203 

shalt never know at what time God hath purposed, in 
his secret counsel, to give faith to thee, until thou dost 
actually believe. 

Dost thou wait for any manifestations or flowings in 
of God's saving love to thy soul ? Then the way to 
obtain it, is, to believe that the " God of hope may fill 
thee with all joy and peace in believing," Rom. xv. 13. 
Thou hast sufficient manifestation of God's love to thy 
soul, by the free promises of life and salvation by 
Christ. Do but trust on the name of the Lord^ and stay 
upon thy God^ when thou walkest in darkness^ and sees t 
no light of sensible comforts any other way ; otherwise 
thou waitest for comforts in vain, and this shalt '' thou 
have at the Lord's hand, thou shalt lie down in sorrow," 
Isa. 1. 10, 11. 

Dost thou wait for any qualifications to prepare thee 
for the work of believing ? If they be good and holy 
qualifications, thou canst not have them before faith, 
but they are rather included in the nature of faith, or 
^rt fruits of it ; as hath been largely proved. If they 
be bad and sinful, it is strange that any should w;ait for 
them, and yet no more strange than true. Some fool- 
ishly wait to be terrified with a sense of God's wrath, 
and despairing thoughts ; and these they call the pangs 
of the new birth ; though, in their own nature, they are 
rather the pangs of spiritual death, and bring forth 
hatred to God, rather than holiness : and therefore we 
should strive to prevent them, by believing God's love 
in Christ, rather than to wait for them. It is true, God 
maketh these despairing thoughts, as well as other sins, 
work for good to them that are delivered from them by 
faith in Christ ; they are moved thereby to hate sin, 
and to prize Christ the more, and the comforts of his 
gospel, and to loathe and abhor themselves : yet many 
are brought to Christ without them, by God's giving 
them the knowledge of their own sins, and of Christ's 
salvation together. Several examples of this were 
above mentioned, who receive the word with joy at the 
first hearing of it. And we must not desire or wait for 



i64 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

any evil of sin, such as these despairing thoughts are* 
that good may come of it : neither should we expect 
to be worse before we be better, when we may and 
ought to be haiter presently^ by believing on Christ, 
, The FOURTH thing in the direction is, that we should 
continue and increase in the most holy faith. And that 
we may, we must not think that when we have once 
attained to the grace of saving faith, and thereby are 
begotten anew in Christ, our names are up in heaven, 
and therefore we may be careless : but, as long as we 
continue in this life, we must endeavour to, " continue 
in the faith, grounded and settled, not moved away from 
the hope of the gospel," Col. i. 23. and to ^^ hold the 
beginning of our confidence, and rejoicing of hope, 
stedfast unto the end," Heb. iii. 6,14. and to ^Vbuild 
up ourselves in our most holy faith," Jude 20. " abound- 
ing therein with thanksgiving," Col. ii. 7- Though we 
receive Christ freely by faith, yet we are but *^ babes 
in Christ," 1 Cor. iii. 1. And we must not account^ 
that we *' have already attained," or " are already per- 
fect," Phil* iii. 12, 13. but we must strive to be more 
rooted and built up in him, until "we come unto a per- 
fect man, unto the meavsure of the stature of the fulness 
of Christ," Eph. iv. 13. 

If the new nature be really in us by regeneration, it 
will have an appetite to its own continuance and in- 
crease, until it come to perfection, " as the new born 
babe," 1 Pet. ii* 2. And we are not only to receive 
Christ, and a new holy nature, by faith, but also to live 
and walk by it, and to "resist the devil," arid to "quench 
all his fiery darts by it ;" and also " grow in grace," and 
to " perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord ;" for " we 
are ke.pt by the mighty power of God, through faith, 
unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5. As all our christian war- 
fare is " the good fight of faith," 1 Tim. vi* 12^ all 
spiritual life and holiness contin\ie, grow, of decay in 
us, according as faith continueth, groweth, or decay- 
eth in vigour ; but, when this faith beginneth to sink 
by fears and doubtings, the man himself beginneth to 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 2©5 

sink together with it, Matth. xiv. 29, 31. Faith is like 
the hand of Moses ; " while it is held up, Israel pre- 
vails ; when it is let down, Amalek prevails," Exod. 
xvii* 11. This continuance and growth in faith, wiH 
require our labour and industry as well at the beginning, 
though we are to ascribe the glory of all to the grace 
of God in Christ, who is the Jinisher^ as well as the 
author of it, Ileb. xii. 2. 

The church meeteth with great difficulties in her 
marching through the wilderness of this world to the 
heavenly Canaan, a^ well as in her first deliverance from 
Egyptian bondage ; yea, we often meet with greater 
difficulties in going to perfection, than we did in the 
beginning of the good work : the wisdom and mercy 
of God so ordering it, that we should be exercised 
with the sharpest dispensations of providence, and the 
fiercest assaults of our own corruptions, and Satan's 
temptations, after we have grace given us to stand in 
the evil day. You must therefore endeavour to continue 
and go on in the same right manner, as 1 have taught 
you to begin this great work of believing in Christ, 
that your faith may be of the same nature, from the 
beginning to the end, though it increase in degrees : for 
our faith is imperfect, and joined with much unbelief 
in this v»^orld ; and we have need to pray still, ^* Lord, 
I believe : help thou mine unbelief," Mark xi. 24. and 
therefore we have need to strive for more faith, that 
v/e may receive Christ in greater perfection. If you 
find that your faith hath produced good works, you 
should thereby increase your confidence in Christ, for 
salvation by his mere grace. But take heed of chang- 
ing the nature of your faith, from trusting on your o^vn 
works, according to the popish doctrine, *^ that our first 
justification is by grace and faith only, but our second 
justification is only by works." Beware also of trust- 
ing on faith itself, as a work of righteousness, instead 
of trusting on Christ by faith. If you do not find that 
}Our believing in such a right manner as T have des- 
cribed, doth really produce such fruits of hollner^ as 

R 



^06 THE GOSPEL IVIYSTERY 

you desire, you ought not to diminish, but rather to 
increase your confidence in Christ ; knowing that the 
weakness of your faith hindereth its fruitfulness : and 
the greater your confidence is, concerning the love of 
God to you in Christ, the greater will be your love to 
his service. If you fall into any gross sin, after the 
work is begun in you, as David and Peter did, think 
not that you must cast away your confidence^ and expect 
nothing but wrath from God and Christ, and that you 
raust refuse to be comforted by the grace of Christ, at 
least for some time ; for thus you would be more weak 
and prone to fall into other sins : but rather strive to 
believe more confidently^ that you have " an advocate 
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ;'^ and that 
'^ he is the propitiation for our sins," 1 John ii. 1, 2- 
And let not the guilt of sin stay at all upon your con- 
science^ but wash it axvay with all speed, in the fountain 
of Christ^s bloody which is opened for us, that it may 
be ready for our use on all occasions ; that so you may 
be humbled for your sins in a gospel- way, and may hate 
your own sinfulness^ and be sorry for it with godly sor- 
row, out of love to God. Peter might have been ruined 
forever for denying Christ, as Judas v/as by betraying 
him, if Peter's faith had not been upheld by the prayer 
of Christ, Luke xi. 31, 32. 

If a cloud be cast over all your qualifications, so that 
you can see no grace at all in yourselves, yet still trust 
on him that jiistifieth the ungodly^ and came to seek and 
to. save them that are lost. If God seem to deal with 
you as an enemy, by bringing on you some horrible 
affliction, as he did upon Job, beware of condemning 
your faith, and its fruits, as if they w^ere not acceptable 
to God; but rather say w4th holy Job, '' though he 
slay me, yet will I trust in him ; but I will maintain 
mine own ways before him," Job xiii. 15. Strive to 
keep and increase faith by faith^ that is, by acting 
faith frequently, by trusting on God to keep and in- 
crease it ; being ^^ confident, that he which hath begun 
a good work in you, will perform it until the day of 
Jesus Christ," Phil. i. 6. 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 207 



DIRECTION XIE. 

Make diligent use of your most holy faith, for the immediate per- 
formance of the duties of tlie law, by walking no longer accordinig 
to your natural state, or any principles or means of practice that 
belong to it ; but only according to that new state which you re- 
ceive by faitli, and the principles and means of practice that pro- 
perly belong thereunto ; and strive to continue and increase in 
such a manner of practice. This is the only way to attain to an 
acceptable performance of those holy and righteous duties, as far 
its is possible in this present life. 

EXPLICATION. 

Here I am guiding you to the manner of practice^ 
wherein you are to make use of faith, and of all other 
effectual means of holiness, before treated of, which 
faith layeth hold on, for the immediate performance of 
the lavv^, which is the great end aimed at in this whole 
treatise. And therefore this deserveth to be diligently 
considered, as the principal direction^ to which all the 
foregoing and following are subservient. As for the 
meaning of it, I have already shewed, that our old 
natural state, is that which we derived from the first 
Adam, by natural generation : and it is called, in the 
scripture, the old man : and, while w^ be in it, we are 
said to be in the fesb. And our ncro state is that w hich 
we receive from the second Adam, Jesus Christ, by 
being new born, in union and fellowship with him, 
through faith ; and it is called, in scripture, the Tieiv 
man; and, wht:n we are in it, we are said to be, in the 
Spirit. 

The principles and means of practice, belonging to a 
natural &tate^ are such as persons do or may attain, and 
make use of, before they are in Christ by faith. Such 
as belong to the nezu stately ar6 the manifold holy en- 
dowments which we partake of in Christ by faith, such 
as have already appeared to be the only effectual means 
of a holy life. We are said to w^alk according to cither 
of these stp-tes^" or t© the principles and means that be- 



208 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

long to either of them, when we are moved and guided 
by virtue of them, to such actings as are agreeable to 
them. Thus kings act, according to their state, in com- 
manding authoritatively, and in magnificent bounty ; 
poor men, in a way of service and obedience ; and 
children indiscriminately, Esth. i. 7. Prov. xvii. 23. 
1 Cor. xiii. 11. So the manner of practice here direct- 
ed to, consists in moving and guiding ourselves, in the 
performance of the works of the law, hy gospel princi- 
ples and means. This is the rare and excellent art of 
godliness, in which every christian should strive to be 
skilful and expert. 

The reason why many come off with shame and con- 
fusion, after they have a long time laboured, with much 
zeal and industry, for the attainment of true godliness, 
is, because they were never acquainted with this holy 
art, and never endeavoured to practise it in a right gos- 
pel way. Some worldly arts are called mysteries ; but, 
above all, this spiritual art oi godliness is^ without con-- 
troversy^ a great mystery^ 1 Tim. iii. 16; because the 
means that are to be made use of in it are deeply mys- 
terious, as hath been shewed ; and you are not a skiliiil 
artist, till you know them, and ca» reduce them to 
practice. It is a manner of practice far above the 
sphere of natural ability, such as would never have en- 
tered into the heart of the wisest in the world, if it had 
not been revealed to us in the scriptures i and, when it 
is there most plainly revealed, continueth a dark riddle 
to those that are not iuv/ardly enlightened and taught 
by the Holy Spirit ; such as many godly persons, guid- 
ed by the Spirit, do in some measure walk in, yet do 
but obscurely discern ; they can hardly perceive their 
own knowledge of it, and can hardly give any account 
to others of the way wherein they walk ; as the disciples 
that walked in Christ, the way to the Father, and yet 
perceived not that knowledge in themselves : ^^ Lord, 
_ we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know 
the way ?" John xiv. 5. Tliis is the reason why many 
poor believers 5ire so w^ak in Christ, vinU ^tt^iiu so small 



O^F SANCTiriCATlON. 209 

ft .degree of holiness and righteousness. Therefore, 
that you may the better be acquainted with the mystery 
of so high concernment, I shall shew, in tht first place, 
tiiat the holy scriptures do direct you to this manner of 
practice^ as only effectual for the performance of holy 
duties ; and then I shall lay before you some necessary 
instructions y tha^ you may understand how to walk 
aright in it, and continue and go foi*ward therein, until 
you be made perfect in Christ. 

For the first of these, the holy scriptures are very 
large and clear, in directing us to this manner ofprac-^ 
tice^ and to continuance and growth therein. And here 
it is useful for us, to observe the great variety of pecu- 
liar words and phrases, whereby the Holy Ghost teach- 
^th this mystery, which many that frequently read the 
scriptures, yea, that pretend to be preachers of the gos^- 
pel, do little understand or regard; shewing thereby, 
that the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to 
them, and that they are not yet acquainted with the 
form of sound words, and are strangers to the very lan- 
guage of the gospel, which they profess, and pretend 
to preach. 

I shall, therefore, present to your view several of these 
peculiar words and phrases, whereby this mysterious 
manner of practice is expressed in the holy scriptures,, 
and commended to you as the only way for the sure 
attainment of all holiness in heart and life. I shall rank 
such of them together as agree in sense, that the mul- 
titude of them may not breed confusion in our thoughts^ 

1. This is the manner of practice in scripture, which 
is expressed by Irving' by faith ^ Heb. ii. 4. Gal. ii. 20. 
Heb. X. 38; walking by Jaith^ 2 Cor. v. 7 ; faith xvork- 
ing by love^ Gal. v. 7; overcoming the xvorld by faiths 
1 John V. 4; quenching cdl the fiery darts of the wicked^ 
by the shield of faith ^ Eph. vi. 16. Some make no more 
oi living and walking byfaith^ than merely a stirring up 
and encouraging ourselves to our duty by such princi- 
ples as v/e believe, llius the Jews might account that 
they lived by faith y because th(tv professed and assentQ^l;: 



2to THE GOSPEL SIYSTEKT 

unto the doctrine of Moses and the prophets, and \rcr^ 
moved thereby to a zeal of God^ though " they sought, 
righteousness not by faith, but as it \vnere by the works 
of the law," Rom. x. 32* Thus Paul might think he 
lived by faith^ while he was a zealous Pharisee ; but 
afterwards he knew, that the life of faith consisted in 
dying" to the law^ and living to God ; and that not him- 
self but Christ lived in him^ Gal. ii. 19, 20. As it is 
one and the same thing, to^ht justified by fail h^ and by 
Christ believed on^ Rom. v. 1 ; so, to live^ walk and xuork 
by faith^ is ail one with livings xvalking^ rvorking by 
mieans of Christ, and his saving endov/ments ; which we 
receive and make use of by faith, to guide and move 
ourselves to the practice of holiness. 

2. The same thing is commended to us by the terms 
of -walkings rooted^ and built up in Christy Col. ii. 6, 7 \ 
living to (?c?^, and not to ourselves^ but to have Christ liv* 
ing in us^ Gal. ii. 19, 20; good conversation in Christy 
1 Pet. iii. 16 ; putting on the Lord fesus Christy that we 
may walk honestly as in the day^ Rom. xiii. 13, 14; be- 
ing strong in the Lord^ and in the power of his mighty 
Eph. vi. 10 ; doing all things in the name of Christy Col. 
iii. 17; walking up and down in the name of the Lord^ 
Zech. X. 12 ; "• going in the strength of the Lord, mak- 
ing mention of his righteousness, even of his only," Ps. 
Ixxi. 16. These phrases are frequent, and do suffi- 
ciently explain one another ; and to shew, that we are 
to practise holiness, not only by virtue of Christ's au- 
thority, but also of his strengthening endowments mov- 
ing us, and also encouraging us thereunto. 

3. It is also signified by the phrases of" being strong 
"^in the grace that is in Christ Jesus," 2 Tim. ii. 1 ; 

** having our conversation in the w^orld not with fleshly 
wisdom, but by the grace of God," 2 Cor. i. 12 ; having 
or holding fast grace^ that we may se7've God acceptably^ 
labouring abundantly^ in such a manner, as the whole 
work is not performed by us, but by the grace of God 
that is with us^ 1 Cor. xv. 13. By grace^ therefore, we 
uiay well understand, the privileges of our new state^ 



OF SANCTIFICATION. ^tl 

given Co us In Christy whereby wc ought to be influenc- 
ed and guided in the periormance of holy duties. 

4. It is also signified, when we are to put off the old 
and put on the iiciv man ; yea, and to continue in so do- 
ing, though we have done it in measure already ; and 
that we avoid our former sinful conversation^ Eph. iv. 
21, 22, 24; and to avoid sin, because we \i\x\q piit ojf 
the old^ and put on the nerv nian^ Col. iii. 9, 10. I have 
already shewed, that by this twofold man is not only 
meant merely by sin and holiness ; but by the former is 
meant our natural state^ with all its endowments, w^here- 
by v.^e are furnished only to the practice of sin ; and, by 
the latter, our new state in Christ, that thereby we are 
furnished with all means necessary for the practice of 
holiness. 

5. We are to understand the same thing, when we 
are taught " not to walk after the flesh, but after the 
Spirit," so that we may be '' free from the law of sin,'' 
and that " the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled 
in us,'' Rom. viii. 1, 2, 3 ; and, *^ through the Spirit, to 
mortify the deeds of the body ;" and to be led by the 
Spirit^ because we live by the Spirit^ and have " cruci- 
fied the flesh, with the afi'ection and lusts,'' Gal. v. 24. 
The apostle doth shew, by these expressions, not only 
that we are to practise holiness^ but also by vohat means 
v/e may do it effectually ^j flesh is meant our old na- 
ture^ derived from the first Adam ; and by Spirit is 
meant the Spirit of Christ, and that nexv nature which 
we have by him dwelling in us. We are said to xvalk 
after either of these natures, when we make the proper- 
ties or qualifications of either of them to be xki^prmci- 
pies of our practice. So, when we are taught to serve in 
newness of Spirit^ and not in the oldness of the latter^ that 
so we may bring forth fruit unto God\xh^ meaning is, that 
we must endeavour to bring forth the fruits of holiness:^ 
not by virtue of the law that killing letter y to which the 

fesh is married, and by which the motions of sin are in 
us ; but, by virtue of the Spirit^ and his manifold riches, 
which we partake of in our newstate^ by a mysticahnar- 



212 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

riage with Christy Rom. vii, 4, 5, 6 ; and by virtue of 
such principles as belong to the new statCy declared in-^ 
the gospel^ whereby the IJoly Spirit is ministered to us. 

6. This is the manner of walking which the apostle 
Paul directeth us unto, when he teacheth us, by his 
own example, that the continual work of our lives 
should be, •' to bzow Christy and the power of his re- 
surrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being 
made conformable to his death ; if by any means we 
may attain unto the resurrection of the dead, and to 
increase and press forward in this kind of knowledge," 
Phil. iii. 10, 15. Certainly he meaneth such an experi- 
mental knowledge of Christ, and his death and resur- 
rection, as effectually maketh us conformable thereunto^ 
in dying unto sinj and living unto God. And he would 
hereby guide us, to make use of Christ, and his death 
and resurrection, by faith, as the powerful means of 
holiness in heart and life ; and to increase in this man- 
ner of walking, until we attain unto perfection in Christ* 

The SECOND thing proposed, was to lay before you 
some necessary instructions^ that your steps may be 
guided aright, to continue and go forward in this way 
of holiness, until you be made perfect in Christ. And, 
seeing we are naturally prone to mistake this way, and 
are utterly unable to find it out, or discern it, by our 
own reason and understanding, we should the more 
diligently attend to these instructions, taken out of the 
holy scriptures. And we shall earnestly pray that God 
would give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation^ that 
we may discer?! the way of holiness thereby, and rvalk 
aright in it ; according to that gracious promise, " the 
wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein,'^ 
Isa. XXXV. 8. 

1. Let us observe, and consider diligently, in our 
whole conversation^ that though we are partakers of a 
new hely state by faitli in Christ, yet our natural state 
doth remain, in a measure, with all its corrupt princi- 
ples and properties. As long as we live in this present 
ATorld, our apprehension of Christy and his perfectionf , 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 213 

in this life, is only by faith : whereas by sense and 
reason, we may apprehend much in ourselves, contrary 
to Christ ; and this faith is imperfect ; so that true 
believers have cause to pray to God to help their unbe- 
liefs Mark ix. 24. Therefore, though we receive a 
perfect Christ by faith, yet the measure and degree of 
enjoying him is imperfect; and we hope still, so long 
as we are in this world, to enjoy him in a higher degree 
of perfection than we have done. We are yet but -weak 
ill Christy 2 Cor. xiii. iv. children in comparison to the 
perfection we expect in another world, 1 Cor. xiii. 10, 
11. and we must grow still, till w^e come to the perfect 
man^ Eph. iv. 13. and some are weaker babes than 
others, and have received Christ in so small a measure, 
that they may be accounted carnal^ rather than spiritual^ 
1 Cor. iii. 1. And, because all the blessings and per- 
fections of our new state, as justification, the gift of 
the Spirit, and of the holy nature, and the adoption of 
children, are seated and treasured up in Christ, and 
joined with him inseparably | we can receive them no 
farther than we cordially receive Christ himself, by a 
true faith, v/hich we only do in an imperfect measure 
and degree in this life. The apostle Paul proposeth 
himself as a pattern for all those that are perfect in the 
truth of grace to imitate : and yet he professeth, that 
he v/as not yet made so perfect, in the degree and 
measure of saving endowments, but that he did still 
" press forward towards the mark for the prize of the 
high calling of God in Christ Jesus," labouring still 
*' to apprehend and win Christ more perfectly, and be 
found in him, not having his own righteousness, but 
that which is of God by faith ; and to gain more experi- 
mental knowledge of Christ, and of the fellowship of 
his sufferings, and power of his resurrection, being 
made conformable thereunto," Phil. iii. 8, 10, 14. Be- 
lievers are justified already ; yet ivait for the hope of 
righteousness s by faith^ that is, for the full enjoyment 
of the righteousness of Christ, Gal. v. 5* They have 
received but the first fruits of the Spirit^ and mui^t 



214 aHE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

wait for the full enjoyment of it. The Spirit witness- 
eth now to them, that they are the children of God ; and 
yet they groan within themselves, waiting for a more 
full enjoyment of adoption, Kom. viii. 23. 

Now, seeing the degree and measure of our recep- 
tion and enjoyment of Christ, with all the blessings of 
our new state in him, in this life, is imperfect, it fol- 
loweth clearly, our contrary natural state, with its 
properties, remaineth still in us, in some degree, and 
is net perfectly abolished ; so that all believers in this 
world do, more or less, partake of these two con- 
trary states. Believers have, indeed, put off t/^e old 
rnan^ and put on the nerVy where Christ is all and in al/y 
Col. iii. 10, 1 1 ; yet they are to put the old man off^ and 
the nexv man on^ more and more, because tht old maji 
remaineth still in a measure. They are said to be, not 
pi the Jleshy but iri tJie Spirit^ because their being in the 
Spirit is their best and lasting state ; as denominations 
are usually taken from the better part : but yet thtfesh 
is in them, and they find work enough to mortify the 
deeds /of it^ Rom. viii. 9, 13* 

Therefore, several things, which are contrary to each 
other, are frequently attributed to believers in the 
scripture, with respect to these two contrary states, 
wherein one place seems to contradict another ; and 
yet both are true in divers respects. '^^ Thiis holy Paul 
Baith truly of hiriiself, I live^ ijet not I^ GaLii. 20; 
because he did Iroe to God^ by Chriijt living in him: and 
yetj in another respect, according to his W2{?r^a/ state, he 
did not live to Gcd* Again, he prcfesseVa that he was 
car?2aly sold wider sin ; and yet, on the contrary, that 
he allozued not sin^ but hated it. He sheweth how both 
these were tru.^, concerning himself, in divers respects. 
lie saith, *•' In me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no 
good thing;'' and I delight to do the v/ill of God, ac- 
cording to the inzvard 7nan. " With my mind, I my- 
self serve the law of God ; but, with the flesh, the 

* The reader, if he chooses, mav see more instances, by caiin 
f^n^ Mi\ R. Evskine^ vul x. p, 160, 207- 



OF SAXCTIFICATION, 213^ 

law ot sin," Rom. vii. 14, 15, 18,22,25. John saith, 
*^ He that saith he hath no sin, deceiveth himself, and 
is a liar," 1 John, i. 8 ; and also that it is true, that 
" whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin ; for 
his seed [i. e. Christ, the new spiritual nature] remain- 
eth in him ; and he cannot sin, because he is bom of 
God," 1 John iii. 9. It is true, that we are weak and can 
do nothing ; and yet strong, and able to do all things^ 
2 Cor. xii. 10, 11. Phil. iv. 13. It is true, that believers 
arc "dead, because of sin; but alive, because of 
righteousness," Rom. viii. 10; and that, when they 
die a natural death, they shall never die, John xi. 25, 26. 
They are sons that have the inheritance by birth-right, 
and yet, in some respects, may differ nothing from ser* 
vants : and so they may be under the law^ in a sense, 
and yet under grace, and heirs, according to the free 
and gracious promise at the same time, Gal. iv* 1, 2* 
They are redeemed from the curse of the law, arid have 
forgiveness of sins, and a promise, that God xvill never 
be Tvrdth with them, nor rebuke them any more. Gal. iii* 
13. Eph. i. 7. Isa. liv. 9 ; and yet, on the contrary, the 
curse, xuritten in the laxv, is some times poured out upon 
them, Dan. ix. 11 ; and they have need still to pray, 
that God would " deliver them from guiltiness, and 
forgive their debts," Ps. li. 14. Mat. vi. 12; and they 
may expect, that God " will punish them for all their 
iniquities," Amos iii. 2. 

These contrary things asserted, concerning believers 
in scripture, do sufficiently manifest, that they partp.ke 
of two contrary states in this life. And this is a plain, 
easy and ready way to reconcile these seeming contra- 
dictions, whatever other ways may be used to reconcile 
some of them. And what reason is there to question, 
that the old state remaineth in believers, in some degree, 
seeing all sound protestants acknowledge, that the sin- 
ful depravation and pollution of our natures, commonly 
called original sin, which is one principal part of this 
old state, doth remain in all, as long as they live in the 
v/orld ? Now, though some penal evils may be said to 



216 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

remain in us, yet we cannot suppose, that this original 
poUutTon is continued in us as considered in Christ ; but 
as considered in our old state^ derived from the first 
Adam. Therefore, the first si?i of Adam is imputed^ in 
some respect, even to those that are justijicd by faith ; 
and they remain, in seme measure^ as aforesaid, under 
the punishment and curse denounced, Gen. ii. 17. " In 
the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." And, 
on this account, the same original guilt and pollution is 
propagated to the children of believing parents^ as well 
as others, by natural generation. And, if such a great 
and fundamental part of our natural state continue in 
believers, as subjection to the guilt of the first sin and 
original corruption, which is one great part of the pun- 
ishment and death threatened, and by which vv^e are 
prone and inclined to aU actual sins : why should we 
not judge, that other parts of the same state do likev/ise 
continue in them, lis the real guilt of their own actual 
sins, and subjection to the wrath of God, and the curses 
and punishments denounced against them in the law ? 
and why should we not judge, that all the miseries of 
this life;, and death itself, are inflicted upon believers, 
at least in some respect, as punishments of sin ? 

It may be objected, that this doctrine of a two-fold 
state €)f believers in this life, doth much derogate from 
the perfection of our justification by Christ, and also 
from the fulness of all the grace and spiritual blessings 
of Christ, and from the merits of his death, and from 
the power of his Spirit i and that it greatly diminisheth 
the sonsolation of believers in Christ. But it is easily 
vindicated from this objection, if we understand it right* 
ly ; for, notwithstanding this tv/o-fold state, it still hcld^ 
eth true, that believers, vvhile they are on earth, have 
ail perfections of spiritual blessings, justification, adop* 
tion, the gift of the Spirit, holiness, eternal life, and 
glory with Christ, Eph. i. 3. In the person of Christy 
who is now in heaven, the old man is perfectly crucifi- 
ed ; the 3/ are dead to sin, and to the law in its cqrse, 
and they are quickened together v, ith hiir'. and raised 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 21 r 

up with him, and made to sit in heavenly places, in 
Christ Jesus, Eph. ii. 6. And believers do, in their 
own persons, receive and enjoy, by faith, all these per- 
fect spiritual blessings of Christ, as far as they receive 
and enjoy Christ himself dwelling in them, and no far- 
ther. 

Thus far they are in a new state^ free from the guilt, 
pollution and punishment of sin, and from the wrath 
of God, all miseries, and death itself, while they are 
in this world ; y^a, all the guilt, pollution and punish- 
ments of sin, and all evils whatever, which they are 
subject to, according to their natural state, do them no 
harm, according to this new state, but work for their 
good : and are no evils, but rather advantages to them, 
tending to the destruction of the flesh, and the perfec- 
tion of the new man in Christ. Yet it holdeth true 
also, that our reception and enjoyment of Christ him- 
self, and all his perfections, is but an imperfect mea- 
sure and degree, until faith be turned into heavenly 
vision and fruition of Christ ; and, therefore, our old 
sinful state, with the evils thereof, is not perfectly abol- 
ished during this life. The kingdom of heaven, or the 
grace of Christ within us, is like leaven in meal, which 
doth not unite itself perfectly to the meal in an instant, 
but by degrees, until the whole be leavened^ Mat. xiii. 
33 ; or, like the morning lights that expelleth darkness 
by degrees, ^' shining more and more unto the perfect 
day,'' Prov* iv. 18* 

T.Tiis cannot be justly accounted any derogation from 
the merits of Christ's death, or from the power of his 
Spirit, seeing Christ never intended to bring to pass, by 
his death, or by the power of his Spirit, that we should 
enjoy his spiritual blessings any farther than we are in 
him, and enjoy him by faith : or that we should be 
made holy or happy according to the Jlesh^ by a refor- 
mation of our natural state ; as hath been shewed. 
Neither does this diminish the consolation of believers in 
Christ ; for thereby they may know, that they have the 
perfection of grace and happiness in Christy and that 

S 



218 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

they enjoy it in this world, as far as they enjoy Christ 
himself by faith ; and that they shall enjoy it in a per- 
fect measure, and be fully freed from their sinful and 
miserable state, when that frame of nature, which they 
received from the Jirst Adam^ is dissolved by death. 

This instruction is very useful to frame our souls 
aright, for the practising holiness, only by those gospel 
principles and means that belong to our nexv state^ which 
we are partakers of by faith in Christ. And thus it is 
easily vindicated from another great objection, wherein 
the papists and quakers do much triumph. They ap- 
peal to men's consciences to answer this question ; 
" which doctrine is most likely to bring people to the 
practice of true godliness; theirs, which teacheth, that 
perfect holiness may be attained in this life ; or ours, 
which teacheth, that it is impossible for us to keep the 
laxv perfectly^ and to purge ourselves from all sin^ as 
long as xve live in this world^ though rve use our best en- 
deavours*^^ They think that common reason will make 
the verdict pass for them against the doctrine, as that 
which discourageth all endeavours to perfection, and 
hardeneth the hearts of people, to allow themselves in 
sin, because they cannot avoid it. But, on the contra- 
ry, the doctrine of the perfectionists hardens people, to 
^llov/ themselves in sin, and to call evil good; as the 
papists account, that '^ the concupiscence of the fiesh 
against the spirit, is no sin, but rather good matter for 
the exercise of their vii^tues, because the most perfect 
in this life are not without it." It also discourageth 
those that labour to get holiness in the right way, by 
faith in Christ, and maketh them to think that they la- 
bour in vain, because they find themselves still sinful, 
and far from perfection, when they have done their 
best to attain it. It hindereth our diligence in seeking 
holiness by those principles and means whereby only it 
can be found ; for, who will be diligent and watchf^il to 
avoid walking according to his ov/n carnal principles, if 
he think, that his own carnal state, with iis principles, 
is quite abolished, and is out of him, so that at present 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 219 

he is in no danger of walking according to diem ? What- 
ever good works the doctrine of the perfectionists may- 
serve to promote, I am sure it hindereth a great part 
of that work which Christ would have us to be employ- 
ed in, as long as we live in this world. We must know, 
that our old state^ with its evil principles, continueth 
still in a measure, or else we should not be fit foi* the 
great duties of confessing our sins, loathing ourselves 
for them, praying earnestly for the pardon of them, a 
just sorrowing for them with a godly sorrow, accepting - 
the pvmishment of our sins, and giving God the glory 
of his justice, and ojfFering to him " the sacrifice of a 
broken and contrite spirit, being poor in spirit, working- 
out our own salvation with fear and trembling." 

Some have doubted, how it can consist with our jus- 
tification by Christ, that we should be still liable to be 
punished for our sins, and obliged to pray for the par- 
don of them ; because they have not well considered the 
txvo-fold state of believers in this life. And, except we 
know this, and keep it in mind, we shall never be fit to 
practise continually the great duties that tend to the 
putting off the old man^ and putting on the nexv^ and m(?r- 
tifytng the deeds of the body by the Spirit ; praying con- 
tinually, that God would renezv a right spirit in us^ and 
sanctify lis throughout ; pressing forward unto perfec- 
tion, desiring the sincere milk ofthexvord^ and the enjoy- 
ment of other ordinances. Christ hath appointed, that 
his church on earth should be employed in such works; 
a,nd perfectionists either do, or fain would account them 
needless for them, and that they have no longer need ojF 
Christ himself, to be their spiritual physician and '' ad- 
vocate with the Father," and " propitiation for their 
sins;" therefore, they are not fit to be menibers of the 
church on earth, and are never likely to be members of 
the church in heaven, except they can make a ladder, 
and climb up thither before their time. 

2. Despair of purging t\\^ fleshy or natural man^ of 
its sinful lusts and inclinations, and of practising holi- 
nessj by tjour willing and resolving tp do the best that 



220 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

lieth in your oivn power, and trusting on the grace of 
God and Christ, to help you in such resolutions and 
endeavours ; rather resolve to trust on Christ, to *^ work 
In you to will and to do, by his own power, according 
to his own good pleasure." They that are convinced 
©f jtheir sin and misery, do commonly first think to tame 
thefiesh^ and to subdue and root out its lu»te, and to 
make their corrupt nature to be better natured, and in- 
clined to holiness, by their struggling and wrestling 
with it : and, if they can but bring their hearts to a full 
purpose and resolution to do the best that lieth in them, 
they hope, that by such a resolution, they shall be able 
to atchieve great enterprizes, in the conquest of their 
lasts, and the performance of the most difficult duties* 
It is the great work of some eminent divines, in their 
preaching and writings, to stir up people to this resoiu- 
lion, wherein they place the chief est turning point from 
&'m to godlmess. And they think, that this is not con- 
trary to the life of faith, because they trust on the grace 
of God, through Christ, to help them in all such reso- 
lutions and endeavours. 

Thus they endeavour to reform their old state, and 
to be made perfect in the flesh, instead of putting it 
oif, and walking according to the new state in Christ. 
They trust on low carnal things for holiness, and also 
upon the acts of their own will, their purposes, their 
resolutions, and their own endeavours, instead of Jesus 
Christ ; and then they trust on Christ to help them iu 
this carnal way : whereas true faith would teach them^ 
that they are nothing, and that they but labour in vain. 
They may as well wash the blackmoor whitc^ as purge 
the flesh, or natural man, from its evil lusts, and make 
k pure and holy. It is desperately wicked, past all 
cure. It will unavoidably lust against the Spirit of God^ 
even in the best saints on earth, Gal. vi. 17. Its '^ mind 
is enmity to the law of God ;" and neither ii, nor ^' can 
be subject to it," Rom. viii. 7. They that would cure 
it, and make it holy, by their own resolutions and en- 
dca^vours, do act quite contrary to the design of Chriist*§ 



OF SA^XTIFICATION. 221 

death ; for he died, not that ihtfcsh^ or the old natural 
7726/^2, might be made liolij ; but that it might be cru.ci- 
//Vc/, and destroyed out of us, Rom. yi. 6 ; and that we 
might live to God^ not to ourselves^ or by any natural 
power of our own resolutions and endeavours, but by 
Christ living* in iis^ and by his " Spirit bringing forth 
the fruits of righteousness'^ in us, Gal. ii. 20. and y, 
24, 25. Therefore, we must be content to live the na- 
tural man, vile and wicked, as we found it, until it be 
utterly abolished by death ; though we must not allow 
its wickedness, but rather groan to be delivered from 
the body of this death, thanking God that there is a 
deliverance through Jesus Christ our Lord, 

Oar way to mortify sinful ajfFections and lusts, must 
be, not by purging them out of the flesh, but by putting 
offxh^ flesh itself, and getting above into Christ by faith, 
and walking in that neiv nature that is by him* Thus 
^^ the M^ay of life is above to the wise, that he may de- 
part from hell beneath," Prov. xv. 24. Our willing, 
resolving and endeavouring, must be, to do the best, 
not that lieth in ourselves, or in our ov^ai power, but 
that Christ and the power of his Spirit shall be pleased 
to work in us : for " in us, (that is, in our flesh) there 
dwelleth no good thing," Rom. vii. 1 8. We have great 
ground to trust in God and Christ for help in such re- 
solutions and endeavours after holiness, as in things that 
are agreeable to the design of Christ in our redemption^., 
and to the way of acting and living by faith. It is 
likely, that Peter sincerely resolved to die w^ith Christ, 
rather than to deny him, and to do all that he could, by 
his o^vn power, for that end; but Christ made him. 
quickly to see the w^eakness and vanity of such resolu- 
tions. And we see, by experience, what many resolu- 
tions made in sickness, and other dangers, mostly come 
to. It is not enough for us to trust on Christ to help- 
us to act and endeiivour so far only as creatures ; for 
so the worst of men are helped: he is the Jehovah, 
'^ in whom we live, move, and have our being," Acts 
xvii»~28. And it is likely the Pharisee v/ould trust on. 

S2- 



i22 THE GOSPEL JMYSTERY 

God, to help him in duty as he would thank God for 
the performance of duty, Luke xviii. 11. And this is 
all the faith that many make use of in order to a holy 
practice. But we must trust In Christ to enable Us 
above the strength of our own natural power, by virtue 
of the new nature which we have in Christ, and by his 
Spirit dwelling and working in us ; or else our best 
endeavours will be altogether sinful, and mere hypo- 
crisy, notwithstanding all the help for which we trust 
upon him* We must also take heed of depending for 
holiness upon any resolution to walk in Christy or any 
v/ritten covenants, or any holiness, that we have already 
received ; for, we must know, that the virtue of these 
things continues no longer than v» e continue walking in 
Christ, and Christ in us. They must be kept up by 
the continual presence of Christ in us ; as light is main- 
tained by the presence of the sun, and cannot subsist 
without it. 

3. You must not seek to procure forgiveness of sins, 
the favour of God, a new holy nature, life, and happi- 
ness, by any works of the moral law^ or by any rites and 
ceremonies whatever ; but rather you must work as those 
that have all these things already according to your new 
state in Christ; as such who are only to receiv^e them 
more and more by faith, as they are ready prepared 
and treasured up for you, and freely given to you, in 
your spiritual head, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we 
walk as these that are yet wholly to seek for the pro- 
curements of such enjoyments as these, it is a manifest 
sign, that at present, we judge ourselves to be without 
them, and likewise without Christ hiinself, in whose 
fulness they are ^Iso all contained ; and, therefore, we 
walk according to our old natural state, as those that 
are yet in the flesh, and that would get salvation in it, 
and by our carnal works and observances, instead of 
living altogether on Christ by faith. 

This practice is according to the tenor of the cove- 
nant of works ; as 1 have before shewed. And we 
]<iiYe no ground to trust en Christ and his Spirit, to 



QV SAXCTlFlCA'ilON. 2^ 

work holiness in us this way ; for zve are dvad^ to tlic 
legal covenant, by the body of Christy Tiom. vii. 4; and 
*'' it* we be led by the Spirit, we are not under the law/^ 
(jal. V, IS. When the Galatians were seduced, by 
false teachers, to seek th«? procurement of justification 
and life by circumcision, and other works of the Mo- 
saical law, the apostle Paul rebuked them for seeking 
to be made perfect in the fleshy directly contrary to their 
(^ood beginning in the Spirit^ for rendering Chi ist of 
lione-effcct to them^ imdi iox falling from grace^ Gal. 
iii. 3. and v. 4. And when some of the Colossians 
sought perfection, in like manner, by observation of 
circumcision^ holy meats^ holy times^ and other rudimeiiis 
of the xvorld^ the same apostle blameth them for not 
holding the head^ Jesus Christy and as such v.ere not 
dead and risen xAih Christy but living merely in the 
zvorld^ Col. ii. 19, 20. and iii. 1. He clearly sheweth, 
that those who seek any saving enjoyment in such a 
way, do walk according to their old natural state ; and 
that the true manner of living by faith in Christ, is, to 
walk as those that have all fulness and perfection of 
spiritual blessings in Christ, by faith, and need not seek 
for them any other way to procure them for themselves. 

In this sense, it is a true saying, that believers should 
not act for^ but fro7n life. They must act as those 
that are not procuring life by their works, but as such 
who have already received and derived life from Christy 
and act from the power and virtue received from him. 
And hereby it appears, that the papists, and all others 
that think to justify, purify, sanctify, and save them- 
selves by any of their own works, rites, or ceremonies 
whatever, do walk in a carnal way, as those that are 
without any present interest in Christ, and shall never 
attain unto holiness or happiness, until they learn a 
better way of religion. 

4. ITiink not, that you can effectually incline your 
heart to the immediate practice of holiness, by any 
^uch, practical principles J as do only serve to bind, press^ 
^nd urge you to the perform,anc€ of holy duties ; but 



224 IME GOSPEL MYSTERY 

rather let such principles stir you up to go to Christ first 
by iaith, that you maybe effectually inclined to the im- 
mediate practice of holiness in him, by gospel principles, 
that strengthen and enable you, as well as 'oblige you 
thereunto. There, c\re some practical principles, that 
do only bind, press, and urge us to holy duties, by 
shewing the reasonableness, equity, and necessity of 
our obedience, without shewing at all, how we that are 
by nature dead in siri^ under the xvrath ofGod^ may have 
any strength and aljiiity for the peiformance of them : 
as for instance, the authority of God the lawgiver ; our 
absolute dependance on him as ovir Creator, Preserver, 
Governor, in whose hand is our life, breathy and all 
our happiness here and forever ; his all-seeing eye^ that 
searcheth our heart, discerneth our very thoughts, and 
secret purposes ; his exact justice^ in rendering to all 
according to their v/orks ; his almighty and eternal 
poxver^ to reward those that obey him, and to punish 
transgressors forever ; the unspeakable joy of hea^en^ 
and terrible damnation of helL Such principles as these 
do bind our consciences very strictly^ and work very 
strgngly upon the prevalent affections of hope and fear, 
to press and urge our hearts to the performance c^ holy 
duties, if we believe them assuredly, and work the n^ 
earnestly upon our hearts, by frequent, serious, and 
lively meditation. And therefore some account them 
the most forcible and effectual means to form any vir- 
tue in the soul, and to bring it to immediate perform- 
ance of any duty, though never so difficult; and that 
the life of faith consisteth principally in cfiw living tg 
God in holiness, by a constant belief and meditation on 
them. And they account those things that serve to 
mind them of such principles, very effectual for holi.- 
ness ; as looking on the picture of death, or on a death's 
head, keeping a coffin by them ready made, walking 
about among the graves, &c. But this is not that man- 
ner of living to God whereof the apostle speak eth, 
when he saith, ^' I live, y t not 1, but Christ iiveth in 
me I and the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 225 

fiaith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him- 
self for me," Gal. ii. 20. If a man make use of these 
obliging principles, to stir him up to go to Christ for 
strength to act hoiily, he walketh like one that hath 
received Christ as his only life by faith ; otherwise he 
walketh like other natural men. For, the natural man 
may be brought to act by these principles, partly by 
natural light, and more fully by scripture light, without 
any true knowledge of the way of salvation by Christ, 
as if Christ had never come into the world. And he 
may be strictly bound by them, and vehemently urged 
and pressed to holy duties } and yet all this while, is 
left to his own natural strength, or rather weakness, 
being not assured, by any of these principles, that God 
would give him strength to help him in the performance 
of these duties ; and can do nothing aright, until he get 
new life and strength by Christ, by a more precious 
Sciving faith. There would be no need of a new life 
and strength by Christ, if these principles were suffi- 
cient to bring us to a holy conversation. Therefore^ 
this manner of practice is no better than xuaiking after 
the fiesh^ according to our corrupt state, and seeking 
to be made perfect in the flesh* No question but Paul 
was very diligent in it, while he was a blinded Pharisee. 
Yea, the heathen philosophers might attain to it, in 
some measure, by the light of common reason. The 
devils have such principles, as they do believe assured- 
ly ; yet they are never the better for them. It is a 
part of the natural wisdom^ xvherehy the u^orld knew not 
God^ not that whdorn of God in a mystery^ discovered 
in the gospel, which is tlie only sanctifying wisdom^ 
and poxver of God unto salvation. What can you pro- 
duce but corruption, by pressing with motives to holi- 
ness, one that hath *" no soundness in him, from the 
sole of the foot, even to the head, only wounds and 
bruises, and putrifying sores.'' Ue that is made truly 
sensible of his own vileness and deadness by nature, 
will despair of ever bringing himself to holiness by 
such principles that afiprd him no life and strength^ but 



226 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

only lay an obligation upon him to urge and press him 
to duiy. What are mere obligations to one that is dead 
in sin i Whiljs the soul is without ^spiritual life, sin is 
the more moved and enraged by pressing and urging 
from the soul the obligations of the law and its com- 
mand. '^ The motions of sin are by the law ; and sin, 
taking occasion by the commandment, worketh in us all 
manner of concupiscence," llom. vil. 5, 8. 

And yet these obliging principles are very good and 
excellent in this right gospel use of them ; as the apos- 
tle saith of the law^ that it is good^ if it be used laivf idly j 
1 Tim. i. 8. The humbled sinner knov/eth well his 
obligations ; but it is life and strength that he wanteth, 
and despaireth of walking according to such obligations, 
until he get his life and strength by faith in Jesus 
Christ, ^riierefore, these obliging principles do move 
him to go in the first place, to Christ, that so he may 
be enabled to answer their end, hvthe strengthening and 
enlivening principles of God's grace in Christ. Borne 
there are that make use of gospel principles, only to. 
oblige and urge lo duty, without affording any life ar^d 
strength for the performance ; as ''^ they that think that 
Christ died and rose again to establish a nev/ covenant 
of works for our salvation, and to give us a pattern of 
good works by his ov/n obedience, rather than to pur- 
chase life, obedience, and good wx^ks for us." Such 
as these do not understand and receive the principles 
of the gospel rightly ; but they perverfand abuse them, 
contrary to their true nature and design ; and thereby 
they render them as ineffectual for their sanctification, 
as any other natural or legal principles. 

5. Stir and strengthen yourself, to perform the duties 
of holiness, by a jlrm persuasion of your enjoyment of 
Jesus Christ, and all spiritual and everlasting benefts 
through him. Set not yourself upon the perform.ance 
of the hnv, v/ith any prevailing thoughts or apprehen- 
sions, that you are yet without an interest in Christy 
and the love ^jT Gct/ through him ; and the curse of the 
/ait^j the poxver of sin and ^a^/zi, having no better por- 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX. 227 

tioii than this present world ; no better strength, than 
that which is in the purposes and resolutions of your 
own free will. Vvhile such tlioughts prevail, and in- 
iluence your acting, it is evident, that you walk accord- 
ing to the principles and practices of your old natural 
^tate ; and you will be moved thereby, to yield to the 
dominion of sin and Satan, to withdraw yourselves 
from God and godliness, as Adam was moved, from 
the sight of his own nakedness, to hide him,s elf from 
God^ Gen. iii. 10. Therefore, your way to a holy prac- 
tice, is first to conquer and expel such unbelieving 
thoughts, by trusting confidently on Christ, and per- 
suading yourselves by faith, that his righteousness, 
Spirit, glory, and all his spiritual benefits are yours ; 
and that he dwelleih in you^ and you in him. In the 
might of this confidence, you shall go forth to the per- 
formance of the law ; and you vv^ill be strong against 
sin and Satan, and able to do all things through Christ 
that strengthens you. This confident persuasion is of 
great necessity to the right framing and disposing our 
hearts to walk according to oxxv new state in Christ. 
The life of faith principally consisteth in it. And herein 
it eminently appe are th, th'dt faith is a handy not only 
to receive Christ, but also to work by him ; and that it 
cannot be effectual for our sanctification, except it con- 
tain in it some assurance of our interest in Christ; as 
hath been shewed. 

Tlius we act as those that are above the sphere of 
nature, advanced to union and fellov/ship with Christ. 
The apostle maintained in his heart a persuasion that 
Christ had loved him ^ and given himself for him ; and 
hereby he was enabled to live to God in holiness, through 
Christ living in him by faith. He teacheth us also, 
that we must maintain the like persuasion^ if we would 
walk holily in Christ. We must know that our old man 
is criicifed with him ; and we must reckon ourselves 
*^ dead indeed vmto sin, and alive unto- God, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord," Horn. vi. 6, 11. This is the 
means whereby v/e may be '' filled with the Spirit^ 



228 niE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might;'- 
which God would not require of us, if he had not ap- 
pointed the means, Eph. vi. 20. Christ himself walked 
in a constant persuasion of his excellent state ; he set 
the Lord always before him^ and was persuaded, that 
because ^' God was at his right hand, he should not be 
moved," Psal. xvi, 8. 

How should it be rationally expected, that a man 
should act according to his nezv state^ without assurance 
that he is in it ? It is a rule in common prudence in 
worldly conditions, that every man must know, and well 
consider his own state, lest he should act proudly above 
it, or sordidly below it. And it is a hard thing to bring 
some to a right estimate of their own worldly condi- 
tion. If the same rule were observed in spiritual things, 
doubtless the kilowledge and persuasion of the glory 
and excellency of our nexv state in Christ, w^ould mere 
elevate the hearts of believers above all sordid slavery 
to their lusts, and enlarge them to " run cheerfully in 
the way of God's commandments." If christians knew 
their own strength better, they w^ould enterprize greater 
things for the glory of God. But this knowledge is 
difficultly attained : it is only by faith and spiritual il- 
lumination. The best know but in part ; and hence it 
is, that the conversation of believers falleth so much 
below their holy and heavenly calling. 

6. Consider what endowments^ privileges^ or proper^ 
ties of your ne7v state are most meet and forcible to 
incline and strengthen your heart to love God above 
all, and to renounce all sin, and to give up yourself to 
universal obedience to his commands; and strive to 
walk in the persuasion of them, that you may attain to 
the practice of these great duties. I may well join 
these together, because, to " love the Lord with all our 
heart, might, and soul, is the first and great commavsd- 
ment," which influenceth us to all obedience, with a 
hatred and detestation of all bin, as it is contrary and 
hateful to God. The same effectual means that produc- 
cth t^^e one, will also produce the other ; and holiness 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. 229 

clnefiij consisteth in these. So the cAi<?/' blessings of our 
h^!y state are most meet and forcible to enable us for 
the immediate performance of them, and so are to be 
made use of to this end by faith. Particularly, you 
must believe stedfastly, that all your sins are blotted 
out, and that you are reconciled to God, and have ac- 
cess into his favour by the blood of Christ ; and that 
he is your God and Father, and altogether love to you, 
and your all-sufficient everlasting portion and happiness 
through Christ, 

Such apprehensions as these, do present God as a 
very lovely object to our hearts ; and do thereby allure 
and v/in our affections, that cannot be forced by com- 
mands or threatenings, but must be sweetly won and 
drawn by allurements. We must not harbour any sus- 
picions, that God would prove a terrible everlasting 
enemy to us, if we would love him : for, " there is no 
fear in love ; but perfect love casteth out fear ; because 
fear hath torment : he that feareth is not made perfect 
in love. We love him, because he first loved us," 1 
John iv. 18, 19. David loved the Lord, because he 
was persuaded, that he was his " strength, rock, for- 
tress ; his God, and the horn of his salvation," Psal. 
xviii. 1, 2. Love^ that causeth obedience to the lav/, 
must proceed from ?i good conscience^ purged from sin ; 
and this good conscience must proceed from faith itn-- 
feigned^ whereby we apprehend \\\q. remission cfour sins^ 
our reconciliation with God by the merits of the blood 
of Christy 1 Tim. i. 5* Heb. ix. 14. 
, For the same end, that your hearts may be rightly 
fitted and frarued for the performance of these princi- 
pal duties, the holy scripture directeth you to walk in 
the persuasion of other principal endowments of vour 
nev/ state ; as that you have fellowship with the Father 
and with his Son, Jesus Clirist, 1 John i. 3; that you 
are the ter.iple of the living God^ 2 Cor. vi. 16 ; that 
)-ou '' live by the Spirrc/' Gal. v. 25 ; that you are 
" call.^d to holiness, and created in Christ Jesus unto 
good works ;" that God would '* sanctify you whoih\ 

T 



230 THE GOSPEL JilYSTERY 

sind make you perfect in holiness at last," 1 Thess. v. 
23. Eph. ii. 10 ; that your " old man is crucified Avith 
Christ ;" and through him " you are dead unto sin, and 
alive unto God : aiid, being made free from sin, you 
are become the servants of righteousness, and have your 
fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life," Rom. 
vi. 6, 22 ; " ye are dead, and your life is hid with 
Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, shall 
appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. 

Col. iii. 3, 4. J 1 

Such persuasions as tliese, wnen they are deeply 
rooted, and constantly maintained in our hearts, do 
strongly arm, and encourage us to practice universal 
obedience, in opposition to every sinful lust ; because 
we look upon it, not only as our duty, but our great 
privilege " to do all things through Christ strengthen- 
ine us :" and God doth certainly work in us, both te 
xvill and to do, by these principles, because they properiy 
belong unto the gospel, or New Testament, which is the 
« ministration of the Spirit, an^ the power of God unto 
salvation," 2 Cor. iii. 6, 8. Rom. i. 16. _ , , 

7. For the performance of other duties ot the law, 
you" are to consider, not only these endowments, privi- 
ieP-es, and properties of your new state, w^ich are meet 
and forcible to enable you to the love of God, and uni- 
versal obedience ; but also, those that have a peculiar 
force and aptitude, suitable to the special nature of such^ 
duties ; and you must endeavour to assure yourselves 
of them by faith, that you may be encouraged and 
strengthened to perform the duties. I shall give yoii 
some instances of this manner of practice in several 
duties, whereby you may the better utiaerstand how to 
D-uide yourselves in the rest. , , . -. , • 

And, as to the duties of the /rsf table, if you would 
draw near to God, in the duty of his worsnip, Mjith a 
true heart, you must do it in /;■'// a.^surunce of Jatth, 
concerning your enjoyment of Christ and his salvation. 
And would you perform the great duty ot " trusting on 
the Lord, with all your heart, casting your care upon 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 231 

him," and committing the disposal of yourself to him 
in all your concerns ? Persuade yourself through 
Christ, that God, according to his promise, will never 
fail you^ nor forsake you ; that he taketh ?i fatherly care 
of you ; that he will withhold no good thing- from you ; 
and will make all things to xvork for your good. And 
thus you will be strong and courageous in the practice 
of this duty ; whereas, if you live in the mere suspense 
concerning your interest in the privileges, you will be 
subject to carnal fears ^ and car king cares ^ in despite of 
your heart ; and you will be prone to trust on the arm 
of flesh, though your conscience tell you plainly, that, 
in so doing, you incur the heinous guilt of idolatry, 
Would you be strengthened to submit to the hand of 
God, with a cheerful patience, in bearing any affliction, 
and death itself? the way to fortify yourselves, is, to 
believe assuredly, that " your afflictions, which are but 
for a moment, do work for you a far more exceeding 
and et«i-nal weight of glory;'* that Christ; Is ^'yuui 
gain in death and life ;" and his grace is su^cient for 
you^ and his strength made perfect in your xveakness; 
and that he Avill not suffer you to be tempted above that 
you are able ; and will, at last^ make you more than con- 
querors over all evil. Until you attain unto such per- 
suasions as these, you will be prone to fret and murmur 
imder the burden of affliction, and to use indirect means 
to deliver yourselves, notwithstanding the clearest con- 
victions to the contrary. Would you limit yourselves 
to the observation of God's own institutions in his v/or- 
ship ? believe that you are complete in Christy and have 
all perfection of spiritual blessings in him; and that 
God will build you up in Chirst by the ordinances of 
his own appointment. This will make you account his 
ordinances sufficient, and men's traditions and inven- 
tions needless in the v/orship of God ; whereas, if you 
do not apprehend all fulness in Christ, you will be like 
the Papists, fond to catch at every straw, and tomaltj- 
j)ly superstitious observations without end, for the sup- 
ply of your spiritual w^ants. "Would you confess vOi{r 



232 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

sins to God, pray to him, and praise him heartily for 
his benefits ? would you praise him for afilictions, as 
well as prosperity .^ believe assuredly, that God is faith- 
ful and just to forgive your sill through Christ ; that 
you are made a holy pritsthood^ to offer spiritual sacri- 
fees of prayer and praises, that are acceptable to God 
through Christ ; and that God heareth your prayers, 
and will fulfil them, so far as they are good for you ; 
and that all God'^s ways are mercy and truth towards 
yoit^ whether he prosper or affiict you in this life. 

If you be altogether in doubt^ or otherv/ise persuaded, 
concerning these privileges, all your confessions, pray- 
ers, and praises, v/ill be but heartless lip-labour, slavish 
or Pharisaical works. In like manner, you will be en- 
abled to hear and receive the word as the rvcrd of God^ 
and to meditate on it v/ith delight ; and you will be 
willing to knov/ the strictness and spirituality of the 
commands of God, and to try and examine your ways 
impartially by tKem, \f you hclif^ve assuredly^ that the 
word is the power of God unto salvation; and that Christ 
IS our great physicia.n, rvilling to heal you^ be the case 
never so bad ; and where your sin abounds^ his grace to- 
tvards you doth much more abound : whereas, without 
these comfortable apprehensions, all the v/orks of hear- 
ing, meditation, self-examination, will be but uncouth, 
heartless works ; and they will be performed, negligent- 
ly, and by halves, or hj^pocritically, and out of slavish 
ifear, with much reluctancy, v» ithout any good v» ill, or 
readiness of mind. So also, for the right receiving of 
the sacraments you will find yourself much strengthened 
by believing, that you may have communion with God 
and Christ in them, and that you have a great High- 
Priest to bear the iniquity of your holy things^ and to 
make you forever accepted before the Lord. 

In the same way you are to apply yourselves to all 
duties towards your neighbour^ required in the second 
table of the law, by acting in a persuasion of such pri- 
vileges of your 72^7^; state^ as have a peculiar force to 
Cr4COurage and strengthen you, for the performance of 



OF sANcrntiCAJ io]s. 23s 

thera. That you may '' love your neighbour as your- 
self, and do to him iu all things as you would he should 
do to you, without partiality and self-seeking ; that you 
may give him his due honour, and abstain from injuring 
him in his life, chastity, worldly estate, good name, or 
from coveting anything that is his, aecording to the 
several commands in the second table of the deca- 
logue :" you must v/alk in a persuasion, not only that 
these things are just and equitable towards your fellow- 
creatures, and that you are strictly bound to the per- 
formance of them ; but that they are the w ill of your 
" heavenly Father, v/ho hath begotten you, according 
to his own image, in righteousness and true holiness ; 
and hath given you his Spirit, that you niay be like 
minded to him in all things ; and that they are the mind 
of Christ, who dwelleth in you, and you in him ;" that 
God and Christ are kind, tender-^hearted, long-suffering, 
full of goodness to men, whether good or bad, friends or 
enemies, poor or rich ; and that Christ came into the 
world, not to destroy, but to save ; and that you are of 
the same spirit; that the injui'ies done to you by your 
neighbours, can do you no harm ; and you need not 
seek any good for yourselves by injuring them, because 
you have all desirable happiness in Christ ; and pJI 
things, though intended by your enemies for your hurt^ 
certainly v/ork for your ^ao d ihrQugh. Christ. 

Such apprehensions as these, wrought in us by the 
spirit of faith, do certainly beget in us a right frame of 
spirit, thoroughly furnished for every good work to- 
wards our neighbour. Likewise, your heart will be 
*' purified to unfeigned love of the brethren in Christ,*^ 
and you will vralk toward them v/ith all ^'lowliness, 
meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another 'in 
love," if you maintain a stedfast belief and persuasion 
of those manifold bonds of love, vv^hereby you are in- 
separably joined with them through Christ ; as particu- 
larly, that there is " one body, and one Spirit, one hopc^, 
of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, orxe 

T 2 



234 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

God and Father of all^ who is above all, and tlirou^h 
all, and in you all." 

Finally, you will be able to abstain from all fleshly 
and w^orldly lusts, that war against the soul, and hinder 
;aU godliness, by an assured persuasion^ not merely that 
gluttony, drunkenness, lechery, are filthy swinish abom- 
inations ; and that the pleasures, profits, and honours 
of the Avorld, are vain empty things ; but that you are 
** crucified to the flesh and the world, and quickened, 
raised, and sit in heavenly places together with Christ;" 
and that you have pleasures, profits, honours, in Christ, 
to w^hich the best things in the world are not worthy to 
be compared; and that you are " members of Christ, 
the temple of his Spirit, citizens of heaven, children 
of the day, not of the night, nor of darkness," so that 
it is below your state and dignity to practice deeds of 
darkness, and mind fieshly -worldly things. 

Thus I have given instances enough, to stir you up 
to acquaint yourselves with the manifold endowments, 
privileges, properties of your new state in Christ, as 
they are discovered in the gospel of your salvation^ 
whereby the new nature is fitted for holy operations ; 
as the common nature of man is furnished with the en- 
dowments necessary for those functions and operations 
to which it is designed ; and also to stir you up, to 
make use of them by faith, as they serve to strengthen 
you either for universal obedience, or for particular 
duties. And, bythis manner of walking, your hearts 
will be comforted, and established in every good word 
and w^ork : and you will grow in holiness, until you 
attain wnto perfection in jfesiis Christ. 

8. If you endeavour to grow in grace, and in all 
holiness, trust assuredly^ that God wall enable you, by 
this manner of v/alking, to do every thing that is neces- 
sary for his glory, and your own everlasting salvation ; 
and that he will graciously accept of that obedience 
through Christ, vrhich you are ena!)led to perform, ac- 
cording to the measure of your faith, and pardon your 
failings, though you dii^nd in many things, and fall 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX* 233 

sliort of many others, as to degrees of holiness, and 
high acts of obedience. And therefore, attempt not 
the performance of duty ia any other way, though you 
cannot yet attain to do so much as you would do in this 
way. This is a necessary instruction to establish us in 
this life of faith, that the sense of our manifold failings 
and defects may not move us either to despair, or to 
return to the use of carnal principles and means, for 
help against our corruptions, as accounting this way of 
living and acting by faith to be insufficient for our sanc- 
tification and salvation. ^The apostle Paul exhorts the 
Galatians to tuaik in the Spirit^ though the fiesh lusts 
against the Spirit^ so that they cannot do the things they 
woidd^ Gal. v. 16, IT. We are to know, that though 
the law requireth of us the utmost perfection of holi- 
ness, yet the gospel maketh an allowance, for our weak- 
ness, and Christ is so meek and lowly in heart, that he 
accepteth of that which our weak faith can attain to by 
his grace, and doth not exact nor expect any more of us 
for his glory and our salvation, until we grow stronger 
in grace. God shewed his indulgence to his people 
under the Old Testament, that Moses, the lawgiver, 
'' suffered them, because of the hardness of their hearts, 
to put away their wivejs, though from the beginning it 
was not so," Matth. xix. 8 ; and also, in tolerating the 
customary practice of polygamy. Though Christ will 
not tolerate the continuance of such practices in his 
church, since his Spirit is more plentifully poured forth 
under the gospel ; yet he is as fortvard as ever to bear 
with the failings of his weak saints, that desire to obey 
him sincerely. 

We have another instance of God's indulgence, more 
full to our present purpose, in his commanding^ that the 
fearfid and faint- hearted should not be forced to enter 
into battle against their enemies, but suffered to return 
home to their houses ; though fighting m battle against 
their enemies, without fear and faint-heartedness, was 
a duty that God did very much exercise his people in 
at that time, Deut. xx. 3, 8. So under the gospel, 



S36 TiiE l>OoFi:.JL MYSTERY 

though it be an eminent part of Christ's service, to en- 
dure the greatest fight of afflictions^ and death itselt 
courageously, for his name's sake ; yet if any be so 
weak in faith, that they have not sufficient courage to 
venture into the battle, no doubt but Christ alloweth 
them to make use of an hon^ist means whereby tht^y 
escape the hands of persecutors, with safety to their 
holy profession. He will accept them in this weaker 
kind of service, and will approve of them better than 
if they should hazard a denial of his name, by ventur- 
ing themselves upon the tri?J of martyrdom, when they 
might have escaped it. Peter came off with sin and 
shame, by venturing' beyond the ?neasure of his faithy 
into the hands of his persecutors, when he went after 
Christ to the High Priest^s hall; whereas, he should 
rather have made use of that indulgent dismission that 
Christ gave to him, and the rest of his disciples : " let 
these go their way,^' John xviii. 8. Christ dealeth with 
his people as a good careful shepherd, that will not 
over-drive his sheep. '^ He shall gather the lambs^ 
with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall 
gently lead those that are M'ith young," Isa. xl. 11. He 
would not have his disciples urged rigorously upon the 
duty of fasting, when their spirits were unfit for it ; 
because he knew that imposing duties, above their 
strength, is like '^ putting a piece, of new cloth in an 
old garment, and new wine into old bottles;'' which 
spoileth all at last, Mat. ix. 14- — 17. 

That precept of Solomon, " be not righteous over- 
much," JSccles. vii. 16, is very useful and necessary, if 
rightly understood. We are /to beware of being too 
rigorous in exacting righteousness of ourselves and 
others, beyond the measure of faith and grace. Over- 
doing commonly proveth undoing. Children that ven- 
ture on their feet beyond their strength, get many a 
fall ; and so have babes in Christ, when they venture 
unnecessarily upon such duties as are beyond the 
strength of their faith. We should be content at pre- 
sent, to do the best that we can, according to the me a- 



OP SANCTIFICATIGN. 23/ 

sure of the gift of Christ, though wt know that others 
are enabled to do much better ; and we are not to des- 
pise the day of small thing's^ but to praise God that he 
worketh in us amj^ thing- that is well-pleasing in his sight, 
hoping that he will sanctify us throughout, and bring us 
at last to perfection of holiness through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. And we should carefully observe, in all 
things, that good lesson of the apostle, " not to think 
of ourselves more highly than we ought to think ; but 
to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every 
man the measure of faith," Rom. xii. 3. 



BIRECTION XIII. 

^ndeavoiir diligoi^My to make the ri^-ht use of iill me.ins appointed 
H) the word of God, for the obtaining- and practising* holiness, 
oiiiv m U^/io wsy of believing- in Christ, and waikiiig in bim, ac« 
coraing- to your new state by f^iilh. 

EXPLICATION. 

This might have been added to the instructions in 
the explication of the former direction, because its 
use is the same, to guide us in the mysterious manner 
of practising holiness in Christ, by the life of faith ; but 
the weight ^nd comprehensiveness oi it, maketh it wor- 
thy to be treated of by itself, as a distinct direction. 
Two things are observable in it. 

First, that though all holiness be effectually attain- 
ed by the life of faith in Christ, yet the use*^ of any 
means appointed in the word for attaining and promot- 
ing holiness, is not hereby made void, but rather es- 
tablished. This is needful to be observed against the 
pride and ignorance of sonie carnal gospellers, who, 
being puffed up with a conceit of their feigned faith, 
imagine themselves to be in such a state of perfection, 
that they are above all ordinances, except singing halle- 
lujahs; and also against the Papists, that run into the 



238 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

contrr.iy extreme, by heaping together a multitude of 
means of holiness, which (lOcl never commanded, 
neither ever came they into his heart, and that slander 
" the protestant doctrine of faith and free grace, as if 
it tended to destroy all diligent use of the means of 
holiness and salvation, and to breed up a company of 
lazy Solifidians." We do indeed assert and profess, 
that '^ a true and lively f^iith in Christ is alone sufficient 
and effectual, through tlie grace of God, to receive 
Christ and all his fulness, so far as it is necessarj^ in 
this life, for our justification, sanctification, and eternal 
salvation :" but yet we also assert and profess, that 
*'' several means are appointed of God for the beget- 
ting, maintaining, and increasing this faith, and the 
acting and exercising it, in order to the attainment of 
its end ; and these means are to be used diligently," 
which are mentioned in the sequel. 

True believers find, by experience, that their faith 
needeth no such helps, :\n(l they that think themselves 
above any need of them, do reject the counsel of God^ 
against themselves, like to those proud Pharisees and 
kiwyers, that thought it a thing beneath them, and re- 
fused to he baptized of John^ Luke vii. 30. Yet we 
account no means necessary or lawful to be used, for 
the attainment of holiness, besides those that are ap- 
pointed by God in his word. We know that holiness 
is a part of our salvation ; and therefore they that think 
rnen may, or can invent any means effectual for the at- 
tainment of it, do ascribe their salvation parity to men, 
and rob God of his glory, in being our only saviour ; 
and thej^ do thereby plainly shew, tliat though they 
^' draw nigh unto God w^ith their mouth,, and honour 
him w ith their lips, yet their hearts are far from him." 
And in vain do they worship him, " teaching for doc- 
trines the commandments of men," Mat. xv. T, 8, 9. 

The SECOND thing observable, and principally de- 
signed in tliis direction, is, the right manner of using 
all the means of holiness^ for the obtaining and practis- 
ing it no other ^vay, besides that of believing in Christ, 



OF SANC TIFICATION. 239 

and walking in him, according to our new state by faith ; 
w^hich hath been demonstrated to be the only way 
whereby we may effectually attain to this end. AVe must 
use them as helps to the life of faith, in its beginning, 
continuance, and growth ; and as instruments subservi- 
ent to faith, the principal instrument, in all its acts and 
exercises, whereby the soul receiveth Christ, and walk- 
eth in all holiness by him. We must beware, lest we 
use them rather in opposition than in subordination to 
the way of sanctifi cation and salvation, by free grace in 
Christ, through faith ; and lest, by our abuse of them, 
they be made rather hindrances than helps to our faith. 
We must not idolize any of the means, and put them 
into the place of Christ, as the Papists do, by trusting 
in them ; as if they were effectual to confer grace to the 
soul, by the work that is done in the use of them* Nei- 
ther may we use them as w^orks of righteousness, to be 
performed as conditions for procuring the favour of 
God, and Christ's salvation. Neither must they be 
accounted so absolutely necessary to salvation^ as if a 
true faith were void, and of none eff'ect^ when we are 
debarred from the enjoyment of several of ,them» The 
holy scriptures, with all the means of grace appointed 
therein, are " able to make us wise unto salvation," no 
other way than '^ by faith in Jesus Christ," 2 Tim. iii.l5. 
And therefore, our wise endeavour must be, not to use 
them in any opposition to the grace of God in Christ. 
For God's ordinances are like the cherubims of glory ^ 
made with their faces looking tovjards the mercy seat. 
They are made, to guide us to Christ fc*- salvation by- 
faith alone. If any turn them to another use, it is a 
great violation of divine institutions ; as if any sacri- 
legious person had presumed to turn the faces of the 
cherubims from the mercy seat some other way. 

This right use of the means of grace is a point 
v/herein many are ignorant, that use them with great 
zeal and diligence ; and thereby they do not only lose 
their labour, and the benefit of tlic means, but also 
they wrest and pervert them to their own destruction. 



240 THE GOSPEL MYSTERV 

The Jews, under the law of Moses, enjoyed many mere 
ordinances of divine worship than we do under the 
gospel ; but their table became their snare^ and they 
fell miserably from God and Christ, because the '^ veil 
of ignorance was upon their hearts,'^ that they could 
rot look to the end of those ordinances, even to the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and ^^ they sought not salvation by 
faith, but by the ordinances, as Works of rightt^ousness,'^ 
and by other works of the law : for '^ they stumbled 
at the stumbiing-stone," Rom. ix. 31, 32, and x, 4, 5. 
2 Cor, iJi. 13, 14. That you may not stumble and fall 
by the same pernicious error, I shall shew particularly 
how several of :he principal means of holiness, appoint- 
ed in the word of God, are to be made use of in that 
right manner expressed in the direction. 

1. We must endeavour diligendy to know the xvcrd 
of God^ contained in the holy scripture, and to improve 
it to this end, that we may be '' made wise unto salva- 
tion, 'iiroiigh faith tha,t is in Christ Jesus," 2Tim.iii. 15. 
Otiier means of salvation are necessary to the more 
abundant ivell being of our faith, and of our new state 
in Christ ; but this is absolutely necessary to the very 
being' ihcr cot : because Jait/i cometh by hearing of the 
word of God, and receiveth Christ as manifested in 
th-:". w^ord ; as I have before proved. Rahab the Ca- 
naanite v/as justified by faith, before she had a.ny visible 
communion w^ith the church in any of God's ordinances : 
yet not without the word of God, even the same w^ord, 
for substance, which was written in the scriptures, and 
was then extant in the books of Moses ; though that 
word was not brought to her by any book of holy scrip- 
ture, nor by the preaching of any holy minister, but by 
the report of the heathens. Josh* ii. 9, 11. But here 
our great w^ork must be,, to get such a knowledge of 
the word, as is necessary and sufRcient to guide us in 
receiving Christ, and v/alking in him by faith. You 
must not be of their raind that think the knowledge of 
the ten commandments to be- sufiicient to salvation, or 
that would have mysteries to remain hid from the un- 



1 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. 241 

d^rstanding of the vulgar, and nothing to be preached 
to them but what they can i-eadily assent to, and re- 
ceive by the light that is in all men : of which mind, 
it may be, some ministers are, who unwittingly agree 
with the quakers in a fundamental of their heresy. But 
you must endeavour chiefly, to know the mystery of 
*' the Father and the Son," as it is discovered in the 
gospel, '' wherein are hid all the treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge," Col. ii. 2, 3, '^ which to know is life 
eternal," John xvii. 3 ; and the ignorance of it is death 
eternal^ 2 Cor. iv. 3. You must know, that " Christ is 
the end of the law," Rom. x. 4 ; and therefore you 
must endeavour to know the commands of the law ; 
not that you may be enabled, by that knowledge to prac- 
tise them immediately, and so to procure salvation by 
your works ; but rather by your knowledge of them^ 
you may be made sensible of your inability to perform 
them, and of the enmity that is in your heart against 
them, and the wrath that you are under for breaking 
them, and the impossibility of being saved by your own 
works ; that so you may fly to Christ for refuge, and 
trust only to the free grace of God for justification, and 
strength to fulfil the law acceptably, through Christ, in 
your conversation. And, for this end, you must en- 
deavour to learn the utmost strictness of the commands, 
the exact perfection and spiritual purity which they 
require, that you may be more convinced of sin, and 
stirred up to seek unto Christ for remission of sin, for 
purity of heart, and spiritual obedience, and he brought 
nearer to the enjoyment of him; as Christ testifieth 
that the scribe, who understood the greatness of that 
command, of loving the Lord with all the heart and soidy 
was not far from the kingdom of God^ Mat. xii. 34. 

The most effectual knowledge for your salvation, is, 
to understand these two points ; the desperate sinful- 
ness and misery of your own natural condition, and the 
aione suffici'^ncy of the grace of God in Christ for your 
salvation ; that you may be abased as to the flesh, and 
exalted ia Christ alone. And, for the better under- 

U 



242 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

standing these two main points, you should learn how 
'^ the first Adam was the figure of the second," Rom. 
Y. 14 ; how sin and death came upon all the natural seed 
of the Jirst Adam^ by his disobedience in eating the for- 
bidden fruity and how righteousness and everlastitig life 
came upon all the spiritual seed of the second Adam^ 
Jesus Christ, by " his obedience unto death, even the 
death of the cross." You should learn the true differ- 
ence between the two covenants, the old and the new^ or 
the law and the gospel ,* that the former shutteth us up 
under the guilt and power of sin, and the wrath of God 
and his curse, by its rigorous terms, " do all the com- 
mandments and live ; and cursed are you, if you do 
them not, and fail in the least point : the letter openeth 
the gates of righteousness and life to ail believers, (i. e. 
the new covenant) by its gracious terms, believe in the 
liord Jesus Christ, and live," i. e. all your sins shall 
be forgiven, and holiness and glory shall be given to 
you freely, by his merit and Spirit. 

Furthermore ; you should learn the gospel principles 
that you are to walk by, for the attainment of holiness 
in Christ. And here I shall mind you particularly, that 
you would be a good proficient in christian learning, if 
you get a good understanding of the sixth and seventh 
chapters of the apostle Paul to the Romans ; where the 
powerful principles of sanctification are purposely treat- 
ed of, and differenced from those weak and ineffectual 
principles, which we are most naturally prone to walk 
by. I need not particularly commend any other points 
of religion to your learning ; for, if you get the know^- 
ledge of these principal points, which I have mentioned, 
and improve it to a right end, v/hich is to live and walk 
bv faith in Christ, your own renewed mind will covet 
the knowledge of all other things that appertain to life 
and godliness; and, '^ if in any other thing you be other- 
wise minded," than is according to saving truth, '*• God 
shall reveal even this unto you," Phil. iii. 15. Yet, let 
me caution you, lest, instead of gaining Christ by your 
knowledge, you rather lose him, by putting your know- 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 243 

ledge in the place of Christ, and trusting on it for your 
salvation. One cause of the Jews perishing was, that 
*' they rested in a form of knowledge,, and of the truth 
in the law," Rom. ii. 20. And doubtless, all that many 
Christians will gain by their knowledge in the end, will 
only be, to be beaten with more stripes; because they 
place their religion and salvation chiefly in the know* 
ledge of their Lord's will, and in their ability to talk 
and dispute of it, " without preparing themselves to da 
according thereunto," Luke xii. 4^7^ Much less are you 
to place your religion and hope of salvation, in a daily 
task of reading chapters, or repeating sermons, without 
understanding more than the papists do their latin mass 
lessons, and canonical hours; as sad experience sheweth, 
that many seemingly devout and frequent hearers of the 
word, do notwithstanding remain in lamentable and 
wonderful ignorance of the saving truth. And in them 
is fulfiled the prophecy of Esaias, " that in hearing 
they shall hear, and not understand; and, in seemg, 
they shall see, and not perceive," Mat. xiii. 14, 15. 

2. Another means to be used diligently for the pro- 
moting the life of faith, is, examination of oi^r state and 
ivays^ according' to the word of God ; whether w^e be, at 
present, in a state of sin and wrath, or of grace and sal- 
vation ; that, if we be in a state of sin, we may know" 
our sickness, and come to the great physician, xvhile it 
is called to-day ; and, if we be in a state of grace, we 
may knoxv that we are of the truth^ and assure our hearts 
before God^ with the greater confidence^ by the testimony 
of a good concience, 1 John iii. 19, 21: that so our 
hearts may be more strongly comforted by faith, and 
established in every good work ; and that, if our ways 
be evil, we may turn from them to the Lord our God^ 
through Christ; ^Svithout whom none cometh to the 
Father," Lam. iii. 40. John xiv. 6. But your great care, 
in this work of self-examination, must be, to perform 
it in such a manner, that it may not hinder and destroy 
the life of faith, as it doth in many, instead of promo- 
ting it. Therefore, beware, lest you trust upon your 



244 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

self-examination rather than upon Christ ; as some do, 
that think they have made their peace with God, mere- 
ly because tliey have examined themselves upon their 
sick-bed, or before receiving the Lord's supper, though 
they have found themselves stark naught, and do not 
depend on Christ, to make them better, but on their 
own deceitful purposes and resolutions. 

Think not that you must begin this work with doubt- 
ing, whether God will extend mercy to you, and save 
you ; and that you must leave this a question wholly 
under debate, until you have found out how to resolve 
it by self-examination. This is a common and very 
pernicious error in the the very foundation of this work, 
which is hereby laid in the great sin of unhelicf ; which, 
as soon as it prevaileth, doth, by its great influence, dash 
and obscure all inward gracious qualifications, of peace, 
hope, joy, love to God and his people, before they be at 
all tried, whether they can give any good evidence of 
their salvation. And it makes people willing to think 
their own qualifications better than they are, lest they 
should fall into an utter despair of their salvation ; and 
thus it wholly marreth the good work of self-examina- 
tion, and maketh it destructive to our souls ; for '•• to 
them that are defiled and unbelieving, there is nothing 
pure," Titus i. 15. You should rather begin the work 
with much assurance of faith, that though you may at 
present find your heart never so wicked and reprobate, 
(as many of God's choicest servants have found) yet 
the door of mercy is open for you, and that God will 
certainly save you forever, if you put your trust in his 
g*race through Christ. 

I have formerly shewed, that this confident persuasion 
is of the nature of saving faith, and that v/e have sufli- 
cient ground for it in the free promise of the gospel, 
when we \valk in dar kness and can see no light shining 
forth in our gracious qualifications. If wc begin tlie 
work with this confidence, it v/ill make us impartial, 
and not afraid to find out the worst of ourselves, and 
willing to judge, that our '' hearts arc deceitful above 



OF SANCTIFICATION. Ms 

all things, and desperately wicked" beyond what we 
can find out, Jer. xvii. 9. And, if we have any holi/ 
quaVifi cations^ this confidence will preserve them in their 
vigour and brightness, that they may be able to give 
clear evidence, that we are in a state of grace, Mark 
well the diiference between these two questions — 
Whether God xvill graciously accept and save me, though 
a vile sinner J through Christ ? as was before said : and 
Whether lam already brought into a state of salvation ? 
The former of these, I say, is to be resolved affirma- 
tively, by a confident faith in Christ, the latter is only 
to be inquired into by self- examination* 

Misspend not your time, as many do, in poring upon 
your hearts, to find whether you be good enough to 
trust on Christ for your salvation, or to find whether 
you have any faith, before you dare to be so bold as to 
act faith in Christ. But know, that though you cannot 
find that you have any faith or holiness, yet if you will 
" now believe on him that justifieth the ungodly, it shall 
be accounted to you for righteousness," Rom. iv. 5. 
And if you love Christ, and your own soul, misspend 
not your time in examining, whether you have com- 
mitted the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost, 
except it be with a full purpose to assure yourself, more 
and more, that you are not guilty thereof; for any 
doubtfulness in this point, will but harden you in un- 
belief. Remember well, that the question to be resolv- 
ed, is, whether you be (;it present in a state of grace P and 
to resolve it, you must be willing to know the best of 
yourself, as well as the worst : and you must not think, 
that humility bindeth you to overlook your good quali- 
fications, and to take notice only of your corruptions. 
But your great work must be, to find whether there be 
not some drop of saving grace in the ocean of your 
corruption ? And it will consist well with humility, to 
take notice of, and own any spark of true holiness that 
is in you : because the praise and glory of it belongeth 
not to you, but to God, Phil. i. 1 1. And you must try 
inherent grace by the touch-stone, not by the measure^ 

U2 ' 



24G THE GOSPEL MYSTEUY 

by its nature, not its degree ; not denying any IiistingR 
of the Spirit in you, because of the strong lustings of 
the flesh against the Spirit; or denying that you arc 
spiritual^ in some degree, and babes in Christy because 
you find yourselves carnal in a more prevailing degree, 
and the old man bigger than the Jicxv^ Gal. v. 17. 1 
Cor. ii, !• 

Especially, you are to examine and prove, whether 
you be in the faith ? For, if you make sure of this, 
you make sure of all the things that pertain to life and 
godliness : and, if you doubt this, you will certainly 
doubt of the truth of any other qualifications, and will 
suspect them to be merely carnal and counterfeit; be- 
cause it is a known truth, tha,t to the iinbeaeving there 
is nothing' pure ; and all that have not truly received 
Christ by faith, are at present in an unregenerate state, 
though they seem never so pure and godly, 2 Cor. xiii. 
5. Tit. i. 15. And let not the issue of this trial depend 
at ail upon your knowledge of the time when, or of the 
sermon, conference, or place of scripture, by which you 
w^ere first converted to the faith ; though that is good 
to know too, if it may be. And some who have for- 
merly lived in gross ignorance, or in a manifest oppo- 
sition to true faith and holiness, may know such circum- 
stances of their conversion, and may reflect upon them 
comfortably, as the apostle Paul did, who was turned 
of a sudden, from his persecuting rage, to be a disciple 
and an apostle of Jesus Christ ; yet others, sincere be- 
lievers, may be wholly ignorant of them, as John the 
Baptist, who ^^ was filled with the Holy Ghost from 
his mother's womb," Luke i. 15 ; and they that have 
been trained up religiously, and know the holy scripture 
from their childhood^ as Timoth}^, 2 Tim. iii. 15; yea, 
many that are first turned from gross ignorance and 
profaneness, to so me external reformation, and then, in 
process of tim.e, brought nearer to the kingdom of 
heaven, by insensible degrees, before they be really 
neW'begotten by tlie spirit of faith. ''.I'here are also 
some that deceive their souls, !)y im^girj^-g th'^y kncv/, 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. 247 

at vvhat time, and at what texts of scripture, they were 
converted, and can make large discourses of the w^ork- 
ings of God upon their hearts, and are prone to talk 
unseasonably, vrith vain glorifying, of their own expe- 
riences ; w^hen, at last, all their experiences are not 
sufficient to evidence, that they ever attained to the 
least measure of true saving faith. 

Therefore, that we may not unjustly condemn or just- 
ify our faith, by proceeding on insufficient evidences in 
its trial, our best way is, to examine it by the insepa- 
rable properties of a true saving faith, by putting to our- 
selves such questions as these ; Are we made thorough- 
ly sensible ef onr sinfulness, and of the deadness and 
misery of our natural state, so as to despair absolutely 
for ever attaining to any righteousness^ holiness, or true 
happiness, while we continue in it ? Are the eyes of our 
understanding enlightened, to see the excellency of 
Christ, and the alone sufficiency and all-sufficiency 
of his grace for our salvation ? Do we prefer the enjoy- 
ment of him alone above all things, and desire it with 
our whole heart, as our only happiness, whatsoever we 
may suffer for his sake ? Do we desire, with our whole 
heart, to be delivered from the power and practice of 
sin, as well as from the w^rath of God, and pains of 
hell ? Do our hearts come to Christ, and lay hold en 
him for salvation, by trusting on him only, and endea- 
vouring to trust on him confidently, notv/ithstanding ail 
fears and doubts that assault us? If you find in your- 
self a faith that hath these properties, though as small 
as a grain of mustard- seed, and opposed with much 
unbelief and manifold corruptions in your soul, you 
may conclude, that you are in a state of salvation at 
present, and that your remaining vrork is, to continue 
and grow in it more and more, and to walk worthy of it. 

You should also examine xht frints of your faith, and 
try whether you can shezv your faith by your rcorks^ as 
you are taught, James ii. 18; that you may be sure not 
to be deceived in your judgment concerning it. And 
though it be true, as 1 have noted, that doubts concern- 



248 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

ing your faith will breed doublings concerning the sin- 
cerity of other qualifications that are fruits thereof; 
yet possibly you may get such clear evidences of your 
sincerity, as may overcome and expel all your doubts. 
And here you are not only to inquire, whether your in- 
clinations, purposes, affections, and actions be materi- 
ally good and holy ; but also by what principles they are 
bred and influenced ? whether it be by slavish fears of 
hell, and mercenary hopes of getting heaven by your 
works, which are legal and carnal principles that can 
never breed true holiness : or, by gospel principles, as 
by love to God, because God hath loved you first, and 
to Christ, because he hath died ; and by the hope of 
eternal life, as the free gift of God through Christ, and 
dependance on God, to sanctify you by his Spirit, ac- 
cording to his promises ? Remember, that the New 
'Ttst9.Taentisthe7nimst7'ationof the Spirit^ 2 Cor. iii. 
6 ; and the Spirit will sanctify us, not by legal, but by 
gospel principles. 

Take notice further, that you need not trouble your- 
self, to find out a multitude of marks and signs of true 
grace, if you can find a few good ones. Particularly, 
you may know, that " you are passed from death to life, 
if you love the brethren," 1 John iii. 14 ; i. e. If you 
love all whom you can in charity judge to be true be- 
lievers, and that because you apprehend they are belie- 
vers, and for f/z^^rz/^A'^^t^/^d', that dwelleth in them. As 
Solomon discerned the true mother of the child, by her 
affection towards her child; so the mother-grace of faith 
may be discerned by the love it breeds in vis towards 
all true believers. To conclude this point, happy are 
you, if you can find so much evidence of the fruits of 
your faith, as may enable you to express your sincer- 
ity in these moderate terms, ''Pray for us; for we trust 
we have a good conscience, in all things, willing to live 
honestly," Heb. xiii. 18. 

3. MeditatiGii on thexvordof God is of very great use 
and advantage for the attainment and practice of holi- 
ness through faith in Christ. It is a duty whereby the 



^ 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 249 

soul doth feed and niminr.te upon the word as its spirit- 
ual food, and digesteth it, and turneth it into nourish- 
ment, whereby we are strengthened for every good 
work. " Our souls are satisfied therewith, as with mar- 
row and fatness ; when we remember God upon our 
beds, and meditate on him in the night watches," Psal. 
Ixiii. 5, 6. The new nature may well be called the 
mind, Rom. vii. 25 ; because it liveth and acteth, by 
minding and meditating on spiritual things. Therefore, 
it is a duty to be practised, not only at some limited 
limes, but all the daij^ Psal. cxix. 97; yea, day and 
nighty Psal. i. 2 ; even when engaged in all our ordinary 
employments at home and abroad. A habitual know- 
ledge of the w^prd will not profit us, without an active 
minding it by frequent meditation. Some think, that 
much preaching of the word is not needful, where peo- 
ple are already brought to the knowledge of those things 
that are necessary to salvation. But they that are re- 
generated by the vrord, find, by experience, that their 
spiritual life is maintained and increased by often mind- 
ing the same v/ord : and therefore, " as new-born babes, 
that desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may 
grovr thereby," 1 Pet. ii. 2 j and w^ould, by the preach- 
( rs, be often put in the remembrance of the same things, 
that they may feed upon them by meditation, though 
they knew thera already, and are established in the pres- 
cnt' truths 2VQt. I. 12. 

But here our greatest skill and chiefest concernment 
lies, in practising this duty in such a manner^ as that it 
may be subservient, and not at all opposite to the life 
cf faith. We must not rely upon the performance of a 
daily task of meditation, as a work of righteousness for 
the procurement of the favour of God, instead of rely- 
ing on the righteousness of Christ; as, indeed, we are 
prone to do, to catch at any straw, rather than to trust 
only on the free grace of God in Christ for our salva- 
tion. And the end of our meditation must not be mere 
speculation and knowledge of the truth, but rather tlie 
vigorous pressing it on our consciences, stirring our 



250 THE GOSPEL IVIYSTERY 

hearts to the practice of it. And, in stirring up our- 
selves to a holy practice, we must warily observe, how 
far the several pai'ts of the truths of God are powerful 
and effectual for the attainment of this end, that we 
may make use of them accordingly. We must not 
imagine, as too many do, yea, and some great masters 
in the art of meditation, that we can bring our hearts 
effectually to the love of God and holiness, and can 
work strange alterations, and frame in our hearts any 
holy qualifications or virtue, merely by working in our- 
selves strong apprehensions of God's eternal power and 
Godhead, his sovereign authority, omniscience, perfect 
holiness, exact justice, the equity of his law, and rea- 
sonableness of our obedience to it; the unspeakable 
happiness prepared for the godly, and misery for the 
wicked to all eternity. 

Meditations on such things as these, is indeed very 
useful to press upon our consciences the strictness of 
our obligation to holy duties, and to move us to go by 
faith to Christ, for life and strength to perform them. 
B^'t that we may receive this life and strength, w'here- 
by we are enabled for immediate performance, we must 
meditate believing on Christ's saving benefits, as they 
are discovered in the gospel ; v;hich is the only doctrine 
%vhich is the power of God to our salvation, and where- 
by the quickening Spirit '•' is ministered to us, and that 
is able to build us up, and give us an inheritance among 
all them that are sanctified," Rom. i. 16. 2 Cor. iii. 6. 
Acts XX. 32. You must take special care to act faith 
m your meditation : mix the word of God's grace v»'ith 
it, or else it w^ill not profit you, Heb. iv. 2. And if you 
set the loving kindness of God frequently before your 
eyes, by meditating on it believingly, you will be 
strengthened to xvalk in the truths Psal- xxvi. 3 ; and, 
by "^ beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, you 
will be changed into the same image, from glory to 
glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord," 2 Cor. iii. 18. 
This kind of meditation is sweet, and delightful to 
those that are guided to it by the Spirit of faith ; and 
it needs not the help of such artificial methods as the 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 251 

vulgar cannot easily learn. You may let your thoughts 
run in at liberty, without confining them to any rules of 
method. You will find your souls much enlivened by 
it, and enriched with the grace of God, which cannot 
be effected by any other kind of meditation, though it 
be never so methodical, and curiously framed accord- 
ing to the rules of art. 

4. The sacrament of baptism must needs be of great 
use to promote the life of faith, if it be made use of ac- 
cording to its nature and institution ; because it is a seal 
of the righteousness of faith ^ as circumcision was for- 
merly, Rom. iv. 11. But then we must take heed of 
making it a sealoi the contrary righteousness of works ; 
as the carnal Jews did, that sought to ho; justified hy the 
law of Moses ; and, as many christians do, that " trans- 
form the new covenant into a covenant of works, re- 
quiring sincere obedience to all the laws of Christ, as 
the condition of our justification ;" into which nexv de- 
vised covenant they think themselves to be entered by 
their baptism^ I may say of baptism, thus perverted 
and abused, as the apostle saith of circumcision, " bap- 
tism verily profiteth, if thou keep the law ; but if thou 
be a breaker of the law, thy baptism is made no bap- 
tism," Rom^ ii.. 25. If thou be baptised, so long as 
thou continuest in the abuse of that holy ordin^ance, 
*' Christ shall profit you nothing ; Christ is become of 
none effect to you ; ye are fallen from free grace," 
OaLv. 2,4. 

Bev>^are also of making an idol of baptism, and put- 
ting it in the place of Christy as the papists do, who 
hold, that it conferreth grace by the very work that is 
performed in the administration of it ; and as many ig- 
norant people do, that trust rather on their baptism, 
than on Christ ; like the Pharisees, who placed their 
confidenee on circumcision and other external privi- 
leges, Phil. iii. 4, 5. We are to know, that God " is not 
well pleased with many that are baptised," 1 Cor. x. 2. 
and the time will come, when he will punish the bap^ 
tised with the unbapHsed^ as well as the circumczsnd xvith 
the uficircumcised^ Jer. ix. 25. 



252 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

Beware also of advancing baptism to an equal partner- 
ship with faith in your salvation ; as some do, who ac- 
count all baptism null and void, besides that which is 
administred to persons grown up to years of discretion; 
and they that refuse to be rehaptised at these years, are 
to be accounted aliens from the true church, from Christ, 
and his salvation, notv/ithstanding all their faith in 
Christ. If the baptism of infants were null and void ; 
yet the want of true baptism would be no damning mat- 
ter to those that are otherwise persuaded. Czrcwnci- 
sion was as necessary as baptism in its time ; and yet the 
Israelites omitted it for the space of forty years in the 
wilderness, without fearing, that any would fall short 
of salvation for want of it^ Josh. v. 6, 7. Many pre- 
cious saints, in the primitive times of persecution, having 
gone to heaven through a baptism of suffering for the 
name of Christ,before they had opportunity to be baptis- 
ed with water. And in those ancient times, when the 
custom of deferring baptism too much prevailed, we are 
not to think that none were in a state of salvation by faith 
in Christ, that deferred the ordinance or neglected it. 

Take notice further, that it is not sufficient to avoid 
the pernicious errors of those that pervert baptism, con- 
trary to its institution ; but you must be also diligent in 
improving it to the ends for which it was instituted. And 
here let me desire you to put the question seriously to 
your souls, what good use do you make of your baptism? 
How often or seldom do you think upon it I The vulgar 
sort of christian^, yea, it may be feared, many sincere 
converts do so little think upon their own baptism, and 
study to make a due improvement of it, that it is of no 
more profit to their souls than if they never had been 
baptised; yea, their sin is the more aggravated, by ren- 
dering such an ordinance of none-effect to their souls, 
through their own gross neglect. Though baptism be ad- 
ministered to us but once in our lives; yet we ought fre- 
quently to reflect upon it, and upon all occasions to put 
the question to ourselves, ' unto what were we baptised:^ 
Acts xix. 3. What does this ordinance seal? what did it 
engage us to ? And aecordingly we must stir up and 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. ^53 

strengthen ourselves by our baptism to lay hold on the 
grace which it seals to us, and to fulfil its engagements. 

We should 9ften remember, that we are made Christ's 
disciples by baptism, and engaged to hear him, rather 
than Moses, and to believe on him for our salvation; as 
John baptised with the baptism of repent miccj saying to 
the people, that ^' they should believe on him that should 
come after him, " i. e. on Christ Jesus. We should re- 
member that our baptism sealed our*' putting on of 
Christ, and our being the children of God by faith in 
Christ, " and our being no longer under the former school-' 
master^ the laiv^ Gal. iii. 25, 26, 27 ; and that it sealed 
to us the *•' putting off the body of sin, '' and our '' burial 
and resurrection with Christ by faith, " and the " forgiv- 
ing of our trespasses," Col. ii. 12, 13. our being made 
members of one body ^Christ*, and to<^ri;2i into oneSpirit^ 
Cor. xii. 12, 13. We may find by sHch things as these, 
which are more fully discovered in the gospel, that it is 
the proper nature and tendency of baptism, to guide us 
to faith in Christ alone for remission of sins, holiness, 
and ail salvation, by union and fellowship with him ; and 
that a diligent improvement of this ordinance, must 
needs be of great advantage to the life of faith. 

5. The Saci^amentof the hordes Suppf^r is as a spiritual 
feast to nourish our faith, and to strengthen us to walk 
in all holiness by Christ living and working in us, if it be 
used according to the pattern which Christ gave us in its 
first institution, recorded by the three evangelists. Mat. 
xxvii. 26 — 28. Mark xiv. 22 — 24. Luke xxii. 19, 
20 ; and was extraordinarily revealed from heaven by 
Ciirist himself to the apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xi. 23—- 
25. ; that we might be the more obliged and stirred up 
to the exact observation of it. Its end is not only that 
we may remember Christ's death in the history^ but in 
the mystery af it ; as that his body xvas broken for us^ thai 
his blood is the blood of the neiv testament^ or covenant, 
'' shed for us, and for many, for the remission of sins; '^ 
that so v/e may rc:ceive and enjoy all the promises of the 
new covenant which are recorded, lleb. viii. 10 — 12. 

y 



254 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

Its end is, to remind us, that Christ's body and blood are 
bread and drink, even all-sufficient food to nourish our 
souls to everlasting life ; and that we ought to take, and 
eat, and drink him by faith, and to assure us, that, when 
we, " truly believe on him, he is as really and closely 
united to us by his spirit, as the food which we eat and 
drink is united to our bodies." Christ himself (John vi.) 
doth mofe fully explain this mystery. 

Furthermore — ^this sacrament doth not only put us in 
mind of the spiritual blessings wherewith we are blessed 
in Christ, and our enjoyment of them by faith, but also 
it is a mean and instrument, whereby God doth really 
exhibit and give forth Christ and his salvation to true be- 
lievers, to receive and feed upon Christ by present act- 
ings of faith, while they partake of the outward ele- 
ments. AVhen Christ saith, " Eat, drink; this is my bo- 
dy, this is my blood, " no less can be meant, than that 
Christ doth as truly give his body and blood to true be- 
lievers in that ordinance, as the bread and cup ; and 
they do as truly receive it by faith. As if a prince in- 
vest a subject in some honourable office, by delivering to 
him a staff, a sv/ord, or a signet ; and say to him, " take 
this staff, sv/ord, or signet; this is such an office or pre- 
ferment ;" or if a father should deliver a deed for con- 
veyance of land to his son, and say, " take it as thy own; 
this is such a farm or manor;" how can such expres- 
sions import any thingless, in common sense and reason, 
than a present, gift, and conveyance of the offices, pre- 
ferments, and lands, by and with those outward signs ? 
Therefore the apostle Paul asserteth, that the bread in 
the Lord's supper, " is the communion of the body of 
Christ, and the cup is the communion of his blood," 1 
Cor. X. 16 ; which sheweth, that Christ's body and 
blood are really communicated to us, and we do really par-^ 
take of them, as well as of the bread and cup. 

The chief excellency and advantage of this ordinance 
is, that it is not only 2ijigure and resemblance of our liv^ 
ing upon a crucified Saviour, but also a precious instru- 
ment, whereby Christ, the bread and drink of life, is 
really conveyed to us, and received by us, through faith. 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 255 

This makes it to be a love-token, worthy of that ardent 
affection towards us, which filled Christ's heart at the 
time when he instituted it, when he was on the point of 
finishing his greatest work of love, by " laying down his 
life for us," iCor. xi, 23. And this is diligently to be 
observed, that we may make a right improvement of 
this ordinance, and receive the saving benefits of it. 

One reason why many do little esteem, and seldom 
or never partake of this ordinance, and do find little ben- 
efit of it, is, because they falsely imagine, that God in it 
only holds forth naked signs and resemblances of Christ 
and his salvation, which they account to be held forth 
so plainly in scripture, that they need not the help of 
such a sign ; whereas, if they understood, that God 
doth really give Christ himself to their faith ^ by and with 
those signs ^ and resemblances, they would prize it as 
the most delicious feast, and be desirous to partake of 
it on all opportunities. Acts ii. 42» and xx. 7. 

Another reason why many partake seldom or never of 
this ordinance, and know little of the benefit of it, is be- 
cause they think themselves brought by it into great dan- 
ger of eating and drinking tlieir own damnation : accord- 
ing to those terrifying words of the apostle, ^' for he that 
eateth and drinketh ui>worthily, eateth and drinketh 
damnation to himself,not discerning* the Lord's body," 1 
Cor. xi. 29. Therefore they account it the safest way, 
wholly to abstain from such a dangerous ordinance ; or 
that once a year is enough to run so great a hazard. And 
if they be brought to it sometimes by constraint of con- 
science, their slavish fears bereave them of all comfort- 
able fruit of it. So that instead of striving to receive 
Christ and his salvation therein, they account themselves 
to have succeeded v/ell, if they come off without the sen- 
tence of damnation ; as the Jewish Rabbies wrote, that 
the High Priest's life was so eminently hazarded by his 
entering once a year into the holy of holies^ that he stay- 
ed there as little time as he could, lest the people should 
think him to be struck dead by the hand of God ; and 
when he was come forth alive, he usually made a feast 
of thanksgiving for joy of so great a deliverance^ . 



256 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

But there is no res son v/hy we should be so much ter- 
rified by those words of the apostle ; for they were dart- 
ed against such a gross profanation of the Lord's sup- 
per among the Corinthians, as we may easily avoid by 
observing the institution of it, which the apostle propo- 
seth to them as a sufficient remedy against the gross a- 
buse, in 7iot discerning or differencing the Lord^s body 
from other bcdily food^ and partaking of it as their own 
supper v/ith such disorder, that one was hxingnj^ and an- 
other drunken. Besides, that terrifying word damnationy 
may be rendered more mAijXy judgment^ as it is in the 
margin; yea, the apostle himself, ver. 32, doth interpret 
it of a merciful, tempered judgment^ whereby v*'e are 
*' chastened of the Lord, that w^e should not be con- 
demned with the world. '^ 

We are indeed prone to sin, in receiving this ordi- 
nance unworthily, and so we jire also to pollute, mere or 
less, all other holy things that we meddle with. So that 
the consideration of our danger might fill us Vv'ith sla- 
vish fear in the use of all other means of grace, as well 
Jis of this, Vv'ere it not, that we have a great High 
Priest, to bear the iniquity of our holy things^ Exod. 
xxviii. oQ ; under the covert of v/hose righteousness we 
are to drcao near unto God. without slavish fear, in the 
full Gssurajice offaitJi^in this as well as in other holy or- 
dinances; and we are to rejoice in the Lord^ in this spi- 
ritual feast, as the Jews vrere bound Xo do in their solemn 
feasts^ Deut. xvi. 14, 15. 

There are other abuses of this ordinance, like to those 
of baptism, fore-mentioned, v/hereby it is rendered cppo- 
jite rather than subservient to the life of faith. Some 
put it in Xht place of Christ^hy trusting on it as a xvcri 
of righteousness for procuring God's favour, or an ordi- 
nance sufficient to confer grace to the soul by the very 
work wrought. Others make it so necessary, that they 
account y^i^/i as not sufficient without it; and therefore 
they will partake of it, if they can possibly, though it 
be in a disorderly manner ^ upon their szck-beds ^whui-i they 
are in fear of death, as their viatictwu The l^ipists do 
horribly idolize it by their figment of transubstantiationj 



OF Si\]VCTlFICATION- 25 7 

and the adoration of their breaden god, and their sacri- 
fice of the mass for the sins of the quick and the dead. 
We ought warily to conceive, that the true body and 
blood of Christ are given to us, with the bread and wine, 
in a spiritual 7nysterious manner^ by the unsearchable 
operation of the holy ^"pirit^ uniting Christ and us toge- 
ther by faith ^ without any transubstantiation in the out- 
ward elements. 

6. Prayer is to be made use of as a mean of living 
by faith in Christ, according to the new man. And it 
is the making our requests with supplication and thanks- 
giving. That it is to be used so, as an eminent mean, 
appears, because God requireth it^ 1 Thess. v. 1 7. Rom. 
xii. 12 ; it is our priestly work^ 1 Pet. ii. 5. compared 
with Psalm cxli. 2 ; and the property of saints^ 1 Cor. 
i. 2; and God is a prayer-hearing Gody Psalm Ixv. 2. 
God will be prayed to by his people, for the benefit that 
he is minded to bestow upon them, w hen once he hath 
enabled them to pray; though at first he is found of 
them that seek himnoty Ezek. xxxvi. 37. Phil. i. 19, 20; 
that he may prepare them for thanksgiving, and make 
benefits double benefits to them. Psalm Ixvi. 16— -19. 
and 1. 15. 2 Cor. i. 10, 11. Though his will be not 
changed by this means, yet it is accomplished, ordina- 
rily, and his purpose is to accomplish it this way. And, 
therefore, trusting assuredly ^\io\Ad not make us neglect, 
but rather perform this duty, 2 Sam^ vii. 27» Christ, 
the mediator of the new covenant, by whom justifica- 
tion and sanctifieation are promised, is also the mediator 
for acceptance of our prayers,, Heb. iv. 15, 16. The 
spirit that sanctifieth us, begeteth us in Christ, and 
sheweth the things of Christ to us, is 2i spirit of prayer ^ 
Zech. xii. 10. Gal. iv. 6. He is as fire inflaming the 
soul, and making it to mount upward in prayer to God. 

Prayerless people are dead to God. If they are chil- 
dren of Zion, yet they are but still-bora, dead children^ 
they cry not^ Acts ix. 1 1 ; not xvritten among the living in 
jferusalem; Heathens in nature, though Christians in 
name, Jer. x. 25. It is a duty so great, that it is put for ^ 

Y 2 



258 THE GOSPEL MYSITSRY 

all the service of God, as a fundamental duty, which 
if it be done, the rest will be done well, and not v/ithout 
it; and other ordinances of worship are helps to it, Isa. 
Ivi. 7. It is the great means whereby faiih doth exert 
itself to perform its whole v/ork, and poureth itself f(>rth 
in all holy desires and affections, Psalm Ixii. 8 ; ajid so 
yields a sweet savour, as Mary's box of precious spik- 
nard, Mark xiv. 3. John xii. 3 ; and so 'ihe same promi- 
ses are made to faith and prayer, Rom. x. 1 1 — 13. It is 
our continual incense and sacrifice whereby we oflcr 
ourselves, our hearts, affections, and lives to God, 
Psalm cxli. 2. 

We act ^dl grace in it ; and must act in this way, or 
else we are not likely to act it in any other way. And 
as we act grace, so we obtain grace by it, and all holi- 
ness, Psal. cxxxviii. 3. Luke xi. 13. Ileb. iv. 16. Psal. 
Ixxxi. 10. Our riches come in by it. Israel prevails 
while Moses holds up his hands, Exod. xvii. 11. By 
prayer Hannah is strengthened against her sorrows, 1 
Sam. i. 15, 18. Peace is continued, Phil. iv. 6, 7. the dis- 
ordered soul is set in order by it, as Hannah, 1 Sam. i. 
18. Psal. xxxii. 1 — 5. Incense was still burnt while the 
lamps were dressed^ Exod. xxx. 7, 8. It is added to the 
spiritual armour, not as a particular piece of it, but as a 
means of putting on a//, and making use of all aright j 
that v/e va^y stand in the evil day ^ Eph. vi. 18. It is a 
means of transfiguring us into the likeness of Christ in 
holiness, and making our spiritual faces to shine, as Christ 
was transfigured bodily, whilst he prayed, Luke. ix. 29. 
and Moses'iace shone, whilst he talked with God, Exod. 
xxxiv. 29. Hence the frequent vise of this duty is com- 
mended to us, Eph. vi. 18. praying' always^ on all sea- 
sons and opportunities \ and by the example of the saints, 
in public with the congregation. Acts il. 42. and x. 30, 
31. Solemn acts of prayer should be continued daily 
Mat. vi. 11. yea, several times in a day, as morning and 
evening sacrifice ^Y^jiW. vi. 10. Psal. xcii. 2. or thrice^ 
Psal. Iv. 17. besides special occasions^ Jam. v. 13, 14. 
and brief ejacidationSy that hinder not other business, 
Psal. cxxix* 8, 2 Sam, xv. 31. Neh. ii. 4. prayers should 



OF SAXCTIFICATION. 259 

h^ solemn hi our closct.'i^ Mat. vi. G. mfcnnilies^ Acts x, 
30, ^\* And as sacrifices were multipiicd on the Sab- 
b:iai clays, and days of atonement, at other appointed 
seasons^ Numb, xxv^iii. besides the continual burnt cf- 
feringii ; so ought prayers also. 

in a word a christian ought to give up himself emi- 
nently to this dutij^ Psal. cix, 4. without limits^ Psal. 
cxix. 164, Butth^ great work is to practise this duty 
rightly for holiness, only by faith in Christ. Here we 
had need say, ^^Lord teach us to pray," Luke xi. !• and 
that not only as to the matter, but as to the manner; both 
which are taught by Christ, in some measure, in that 
brief pattern of prayer which he taught his disciples. 
But lor the understanding of it, we must consult the 
whole word, 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17* And v/e have need of 
the Spirit of Christ, to guide us in the duty ; and there- 
fore we are taught to pray by the Spirit^ z, e, the Holy 
Ghost^ Jxid^ 20, Eph. ii. 18. The Spirit of God only 
guideth and enabieth our souls to pray aright. And, 
that you may do so, take these rules : 

1. You must pray v/ich your hearts and spirits^ Isa. 
xxvi. 9. John Iv. 24. where the Spirit of Christ, and of 
■pravGY^ principally resides^ Gal. iv. 6. Eph. i. 17. with 
understandings 1 Cor. xiv. 15, 16. for we are renexved 
in knowledge^ Col. iii. 10. 2 Pet. i. 3. so that praying 
in ignorance cannot sanctif)% And it must be with sin- 
cere hearty desire of the good things we ask in prayer ; 
for God seeth the heart, Psal. Ixii. 8. Prayer is chief- 
ly a heart work^ Psal. xxvii. 8. God heareth the heart 
without the mouth, but never heareth the mouth ac- 
ceptably without the heart, 1 Sam. i. 13. Your prayer 
is odious hypocrisy, mocking of God, and taking his 
name in vain, when you utter petition.9 for the coming 
of his kingdom^ and doing of his xvill^ and yet hate god- 
liness in your heart, l^his is lying to God and flatter- 
ing with your lips, but no true prayer ; and so God takes 
it, Psal. Ixxviii. 36. And you must have a sense of 
your wants and necessities, and that God only can sup- 
ply them, 2 Chron. xx. 12. And fervency ^ in those de- 
sires is required, Jam. v. 16. And you must pray with 



260 TlIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

attention^ minding yourselves w^hat you pray, or else - 
you canrot expect that God should mind it, Dan, ix. 
b. Watch unto it, 1 Pet. iv. 7. Set yourselves to this 
duty intently. God seeth where your hearts are wan- 
dering when you pray without attention, Ezek. xxxiii, 
21. When you say never so many prayers without 
understanding, attention, affection, it is not praying at 
all, but sinning, and playing the hypocrite; as papists 
mumble over their Latin prayers upon beads by tale, 
prating like parrots what.they cannot understand. And 
thus ignorant people say over their forms of English 
prayers, and account they have well discharged their 
duty, though their heart prayed none at all, and they 
were minding other things.. This is a mere lip-labour 
and bodily exercise, offering a dead carcase to God ; 
plain deceit^ Mai. i., 13,, 14. a form of godliness^ with 
denying the power ^ 2 Tim. iii. 5. whereby popery hath 
cheated the world of the power of this, and all other 
holy ordinances*. ^^ They say, God minds and knows 
what they speak and approves it." I answer, ^^ he sees 
them so as to judge them for hypocrites, and profane 
persons, for not knowing, minding, and approving what 
they utter themselves :'' " He hath no pleasure in 
fools," Eccl. v^ 1,4, They would not deal so with an 
earthly prince.. 

2. You must pray in the name of Christ ; for the Spi* 
rit glorifes Christy John xvi. 14. and leadcth us to God 
through Christ, Eph. ii. 18. As I have shewed, that 
rvalking in the Spirit^ and 'walking in Christy is all one ; 
so, praying in the Spirit, and by and through Christ. 
And as we are to xvalk in the name of the Lord^ and like- 
wise to do all things in his name^ so we are to pray in 
his name^ as he has also commanded us, John xiv. 13, 
14. It is not enough to conclude our prayers, ^Araw^A 
y^sus Christ our Lord; but we must come for blessings 
in the garments of our elder brother, and must depend 
upon his worthiness and strength for all. So also we 
nvust praise G^odfor all things in his name^ as things re- 
ceived for his sake, and by him, Eph. v. 20. We must 
lay hold on his strength only, and plead notliing, and 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX. 261 

own nothing, for our acceptance, but him. We must 
not plead our own works arrogantly, like the proud 
pharisee, Tjuke xviii. 11, 12. except only as fruits of 
grace, and rewards of grace, Isa. xxxvili. 3. Praying 
in the Spirit^ is upon gospel, not legal principles, liom^ 
viii. 6. 2 Cor. iii. 3. with great humiliation, and sense 
of unworthiness, Psal. li. with broken spirit; with des- 
pair of acceptance, otherwise than upon Christ's ac- 
count, Dan ix. 18. If your enlargements, strugglings, 
meltings, have been never so great ; yet without this all 
is abominable. 

3. Hence you must not think to be accepted for the 
goodness of your prayers^ and trust on them as vcorks of 
righteousness ; vriiich is making idols of your prayers, 
and putting them into the place of Christ; quite con- 
trary to praying in the name of Christ. Thus the papists 
liope to be saved by saying their tale of prayers upon 
their bead-rows ; and they have indulgences granted 
upon their saying so many prayers, and of such sort. 
Yea, some ignorant protestants trust on their prayers as 
duties of righteousness ; and they think one prayer to be 
more acceptable than another, by reason of the holi- 
ness cfthe form^ if it were made by hohj men ; especially 
the Lord'^s prayer^ v/hich they use to help them in any 
exigence or danger ; how little soever they can apply it 
to their own case, they make an idol of it. Ancl some 
use it, and others places of scripture, as a spell or charm, 
to drive away the Devil. And others think their pray- 
ers more acceptable in one place than rinother, by rea- 
son of the holiness of the place^ John iv. 21, 24. 1 Tim. 
ii. 8. Others trust on their much speakings Mat. vi. 7. 
Vv^hich they call the enlarging of their hearts. They 
think, to put off God, and to stop the mouth of cou^ 
science with a few^praj^ers, and so to live as they list, 

4. Pray to God your father through Christ as your 
Saviour^ in faith of remission of sins ^ and your accep-* 
tance xvith God^ and the obtaining all other things which 
you desire of him, as far as is necessary for your salva^ 
tion^ Jam. i. 5 — 7. and v. 15- 1 John v. 14, 15. ]VJark 
%u 24, Ileb, X. 14. Psal Ixii, 8, livxxvi, 7. Iv. 16, Ivii, 



262 TlIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

1. and xvii. 6. '! his is prayiug in ChriH^ Eph. ii. 12« 
and by the " Holy Ghost, the spirit of adoption," Rom. 
viii. 1 5. Gal. iv. 6, Without this, prayer is lifeless and 
heartless, and but a dead carcase, Rom. x. 14. Psal. 
Ixxvii. 1, 2. By this you may judge whether you have 
prayed rightly, more than your melting affection, or 
largeness in expression. Though you be not assured 
that you shall have every thing you ask, yet every thing 
that is good. This faith you must endeavour to act, 
and therefore, if any sin lie on your conscience, you must 
strive first to get the pardon of it, Psa. xxxii. 1, 5« li. 14, 
15 ; and purification of it by faith, that you may ' lift up 
holy hands without wrath and doubting,' 1 Tim. ii. 8. 
The sin of wrath there is especially mentioned, because 
that is contrary to love 2C[idi forgiving others. Here lies 
the strength, life and powerfulness of prayer. Set faith 
on work, and you will be powerful and prevail. 

5. You must strive in prayer, to stir iip^ and act every 
other sanctifying grace ^ through faith moving you there^ 
to. Thus your spiknards will yield their smell, as godly 
sorroxo^ Ps. xxxviii. 18; peace^ Is. xxvii. 5 ; joy^ Psal. 
Gv. 3; hope^ Ps. Ixxi. 5 ; desire and love to God^ Psalm 
iv. 6; and love to all his commands^ Ps. cxix. 4, 5; and 
to all his people out of love to him^ Psalm cxxii. 8. You 
must also seek the Spirit himself in the first place ^ Luke 
xi. 13. Psal. xxxvii. 5. and all spiritual things ^^l.2it.\u 
33. Praying only for carnal things, shews a carnal heart, 
and leaves it carnal. Pray ior faith ^ Mark ix. 24 ; and 
for such things as may serve most for the glorifying 
God, 2 Chroii. i. 11, 12. And for outward things, you 
must act faith in submission to his will. And this prayer 
sets you in a holy frame, Mat. xxvi. 42. Luke xxii. 
42, 43. Hallowing God^s name^ must be your aim, Mat. 
vi. 9; not your lusts, James iv. 3. 

6. Strive to bring your soul into order by this diity^ 
however disordered by guilt, anguish, inordinate cares, 
or fears, Psal. xxxii. 1, 5, Iv. 16, 17, 20, 22. and ixix.. 
32, Phil. iv. 6, 7. 1 Sam. i. A watch must be often, 
wound up. You must wrestle in prayer^ against your 
tmbelief, doubting, f earjs, cares, reluctancy of the flesh, 



OF SANC TIFICATION. 263 

to that which is good ; against all evil lusts and desires, 
coldness of affection, impatience, trouble of spirit; 
every thing that is contrary to a holy life, and the gra- 
ces and holy desires to be acted for ycmrselves or oth- 
ers, CoL iv. 12^ Rom. xv. 30. Stir up yourselves to the 
duty, Col. ii. 1, 2. Isa. Ixiv. 7. Though the flesh be 
cross and reluctant, we must not yield, but resist by the 
spirit. Mat. xxvi. 41. And thus we shall find the spirit 
helping our infirrnittes^ Rom. xviii* 26, 27. Though 
God seem to defer long, we must not faint, or be dis- 
couraged, Luke xviii. 1, 7. The greater our agonies 
be, the more earnestly we are to pray, Psal. xxii. 1, 2. 
Luke xxii. 42. This is *4o continue instant in prayer," 
Rom. xii. 12. Eph. vi. 18. Thus you find prayer a 
great heart- work, and not such a thing as may be done 
while you think on other things, and that it requireth 
all the strength of faith and affection that you can pos- 
sibly stir up. Thus you must get a holy frame. 

7. You must make a good use of the whole matter^ 
and all the manner of prayer, as ordinary and extraor- 
dinary exigencies may require, to stir up grace in you 
by XV resiling^ and to bring your hearts into a holy frame. 
And, in confession^ you must condemn yourself accord- 
ing to the flesh, but not as you are in Christ. You must 
not deny that grace that you have, as if you were only 
v/icked hitherto, and now to begin again; which hinders 
praise, for grace received, in those that are already con- 
verted. In supplication^ you must endeavour to work up 
your heart to a godly scrroxv^ Ps. xxxvii. 18 ; and a ho- 
ly sense of your own sin and misery ; and lay before 
you the aggravations thereof, Psal. li. 3. and cii. Com- 
plaint and lamentation arc one great part of prayer, as 
the Lamentaions of Jeremiah. And you must add 
pleadings to your petitions, with such arguments as may 
serve to strengthen Taith, and to stir up and kindle af- 
fection. Job xxiii 4. Which pleadings are taken from 
attributes^ Num. xiv. 17, 18; promises^ 2 Sam. vii. 26, 
28, Sec. Gen. xxxii. 9, 15^; the equity of our cause, 
Psalm xvii. 2, 5 ; and the advantage and benefit of the 
thing, to the glory of God^ and our comfort^Psal. cxv 



264 . THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

1, 2. and Ixxix. 9, 10, 13. Naked petitions are not suffi- 
. cient, when the soul findcth special csuse o{ struffCfUnir 
and wrestling against corrupiions and dangers, and for 
mercies, Christ's large prayer, John xvii. is nmade up of 
pleadings and a very few petitions. And we must make 
use also of praise and t(ianh:giving\ to stir up peace, 
joy, love, &c. Gen, xvxiii. 10. Fs, xviii. 1,2, 3. xxxiii. 
l.lxxiv. 14. and civ. 34, Especially be much in praising 
for mercies of the new state in Christ, Ep. i. 3. and then 
you will the better give thanks for all the benefits on 
this account, Eph. v. 20. 1 Thess. v. 18* and plead those 
benefits, to slir up to faiih and duty. That brief ejac- 
ulation, '^ Lord have mercy upon me," is very good to 
be used; but it never will answer the end and use of the 
whole duty of prayer; as some lazy carnal people 
Vi^ould have it, and so harden themselves in the neglect 
of the duty ; though the large improvement and use of 
all the matter of prayer, and at all times, is not requir- 
ed, but only as ordinary or extraordinary occasions may 
require. 

8. You must not confine and limit your prayers by any 
prescribed form; seeing it is impossible that any such 
forms should be contrived, as should answer and fit all 
the various conditions and necessities of the soul at all 
times. I do not condemn all forms, as that made by- 
Christ, the Lord'^s prayer; though it w^ere easy to shew, 
that Christ never intended it for ?iform of prayer^ so as 
to bind any to the precise form of words : and it is plain 
the Spirit of God hath expressed it in different ivordsy 
Mat. vi. Luke xi. But better to pray by that form, or 
other forms, than not at all. It is unc;haritabie to take 
away crutches or wooden legs from lame people ; yet 
none will look upon them but as dead helps. I saj^, it is 
Utterly unlaivfd to hind ourselves tQ any form ; because 
none can answer the (\\ity ftly and suitably to particular 
occasions, Ep. vi. 18. Fhil. iv. 6. John xv. 7. 1 Thes. v. 
18. Ep. V' 20. You must make the whole scriptvue your 
common prayer-book^ as the primitive church did ; being 
the language of the Spirit, reaching all occasions and 
conditions, and fittest to spea.k to God in. And if } ou use 



OF SANCTIFI CATION. 265 

a form, you must follow it by the Spirit, farther than the 
form goes, according as he shall guide you by the word; 
or else you quench the Spirit, 1 Thes. v. 1 9. If you know 
the principles of prayer, and have a lively sense of your 
necessities, and hearty desires of God's grace and mer- 
cies, you will be able to pray without forms, and your 
affections will bring forth words out of the fulness of 
vour heart. And you need not be over solicitous and 
timorous about words ; for, doubtless, the Spirit, who 
is the help to us in speaking to men, will also much 
more help us to speak to God, if we desire i:, r > >r. 
i. 5. Mar. xiii. 11. Luk. xii. 11, 12. And God regards 
not eloquent words, nor artificial composure ; neither 
need we regard it in private prayer, Isa. xxxviii. 14» 
If you limit yourself to forms, you w^ill thereby grow 
formal, and limit the Spirit. 

7. Ajiother means appointed of God, is singing of 
Psalms^ i e. songs of any sacred subject, composed to 
a tune, hymns or songs of praise, and spiritual songs, 
of any sublime spiritual manner ; as Psa, xiv. and the 
song of Solomon. God hath commanded it in the 
New Testament, Col. iii. 16. Eph. v. 19 ; though now 
in these days, many questions whether it be an ordi- 
nance or no. And there were many commands for it 
under the Old Testanlerit, Psa. cxlix. 1 — 3. xcvi. 1. and 
c. — Moses and the children of Israel, sang before Da- 
vid's time, Exo. xv. David composed psalms by the 
Spirit, to be sung publickly, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1 — 3 ; yea, 
privately too^ Psa. xl. 3. 2 Cor. xxix. 30. Psa. cv. 2. 
Other songs also were made upon several occasions, 
and used, whether they were parts of scripture or no ; 
as Solomon made a thousand and Jive ^ 1 Kings iv. 32. 
And they made songs upon occasions : which teacheth, 
that it is lawful for us to do so^ if they be according 
to the v/ord, Isa. xxxviii. 9, 14. 

The matter of scripture m^.y be sung, Psa. cxix. 54. 
Christ and his disciples sung a hymn^ Mat. xxvi, GO. 
supposed to be one of David's psalms ; and thcv were 
written for cur instruction, as well as other pans of 



266 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

scripture, Rom. xv. 4, &c. and so to be used now in 
singing. They speak of the things of the New Tes- 
tament, either figuratively or clearly : and wc may 
understand them better now, than the Jews could un- 
der the Old Testament, 2 Cor. iii. 16. Gal. ii. 17. 

Christians heretofore practised this duty as well as 
Jews, Acts xvi. 25. Hence their antelucani hymni [the 
hymns they sung before day-light] were noted by Pliny 
a Heathen. These songs, or hymns, may be vised at 
all times, especially for holy mirth or rejoicing, James 
-ft 13. But this text is not to be taken exclusively in 
singing, any more than in prayer, Psa. xxxviii. 1 8. 2 
Chro. xxxv. 25. 

But the right maiiiier of this duty is chiefly to be 
noted, and, here (1) trust not upon the melody of the 
voice^ as if that pleased God, who delighteth only in 
the melody of the heart j Col. iii. 16. Neither let the 
recreating your senses be your end, which is but a car- 
nal work : " Not a musical string, but the heart ; nor 
crying, but loving sounds in the ear of the Lord." — 
This spiritual music was typified by musical instru- 
ments of old. (2) You must use it for the same end 
as 7neditation and prayer^ according to the nature of 
what is sung, t, e. to quicken faith^ 2 Chro. xx. 21, 22. 
Acts xvi. 25, 29. and joy and delight in the Lord, glo- 
rying in \\\m^ Psa. civ. SS, cv. 3. cxlix. 1,2.. xxxiii* 
l-^o. You are never right until you can be heartily 
merry in the Lord, to act joy and mirth holily, James 
v. 13. Eph. v. 19; and also to get more -know ledge y 
and vistruction in heavenly mysteries, and in your duty 
teaching and adriionishing^ Col. iii. 16. Many psalms 
are Maschils (as tlieir title is) i. c. psahtis of instruction. 

Thus we are to sing such psalms as speak in the first 
person, though we cannot apply them to ourselves, as 
words uttered by ourselves, concerning ourselves ; and 
in this we dp not lie. David speaks of Christ as ot 
himself, as a pattern of affliction and virtue to instruct 
others; and we sing such psaims, not as our words, 
but as words of our instruction. And therein, we do 
not lie, any more than the Levites, the sons of Korah, 



J 



OF SAN€TIFICATION. 267 

or Jeduthan, or other musicians bound to sing them, 
Psal. V. xxxix. and xlii. Though it be good to per- 
sonate all the good that we can ; yet we have so much 
liberty in the use of psalms, that though we cannot ap- 
ply all to ourselves, as speaking and thinking the same, 
yet we shall answer the end, if we sing for our instruc- 
tion, as in Psa. vi. xxvi. xlvi. ci. and cxxxi. And psalms 
have a peculiar fitness for teaching and instructing ; 
because the pleasantness of ihetre, said or sung, is very 
helpful to the memory. See Duet. xxxi. 19, 21. And 
there is a variety of curious artifice in the placing of 
words in the psalms upon this account ; and there is 
some alphabetical psalms, as Psa. xxv. xxxiv. xxxvii* 
cxi. cxii. cxix. cxlv. And, by the melody of th^ sound, 
the instruction comes in with delight, as a physical 
dose sugared ; and sorrow is naturally allayed, to fit 
the mind for spiritual joy ; and distempered passions 
appeased, 2 Kings iii. 15. 1 Sam. xvi. 14 — 16. So; 
Orpheus, Amphion, and others, were famous for ci* 
vilizing rude and barbarous people by music. 

8. Fasting- is also an ordinance of God to be used for 
the same purpose and end, and is commended to u^ 
under the New Testament, Mat. ix. 15. and xvii. 21,, 

1 Cor. vii. 5. And we have examples of it, Acts xiii. 2, 
3. and xiv. 23. Under the Old Testament, there were 
frequent commands for it, and examples, chiefly upon 
occasion of extraordinary afflictions, 1 Sam. vii. 6. Neh, 
ix. 1. Dan. ix. 3. x. 2, 3. 2 Sam. xii. 16. Psa. xxxv. 13. 

2 Sam. iii. 31. Joel ii. 13; besides the anniversary 
great day of atonement, Lev.. xvi»-29, 31, when every- 
one was to fast on pain of being cut off. There is a 
prophecy of the same for the times of the New Testa- 
ment, Zech. xii. 12. It was used most in extraordi- 
nary occasions, and it is a help to holiness by faith; 
because it is a mxeet help for extraordinary prayer and 
humiliation, Joel i.. 14.,and ii. 12. But the great mat^ 
ter is, to use it rightly, as foUoweth : 

(1) Trust not in it as meriting or satisfying, as Pa- 
pists and Pharisees do, Luke xviii. 11. putting it in the 
^)lacc of. Christ ; or as means of itself conferring grace, 



268 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

and mortifying lusts, as many do, who may sooner kill 
their bodies than their lusts, or as any purifying rile ; 
yea, or in or for itself acceptable to God, 1 Tim. iv. 
8. Heb. xii, 9. Col. ii. 16, 20, 23. Imagine not, that 
prayer is not acceptable without it, for this is ajjainst 
faith. Fasts as well as feasts are no substantial parts 
©f worship, because not spiritual, but bodily ; though, 
under the Old Testament, they were parts, as instituted 
rites, figurative and teaching. But that use is now 
ceased j as that on the day of atonement, and so many 
significative rites adjoined to fasting, as sackcloth, ashes, 
rending garments, pouring out water, lying upon the 
earth. The kingdom of God consists not in these things, 
Rom. xiy. 16. The soul is hardened by trusting :n thcvi^ 
Isa. Iviii. 2, 6. Zech. vii. 5, 6, 10. 

(2) Use it as a help to extraordinary prayer and hu- 
miliation ; that the mind may not be unsuited for it by 
eating, drinking, or bodily pleasures, Joel ii. 13. Isa. 
xxii. 12, 13.. Zech. xii. 10 — 14. It is good only as 
a help to the soul, removing impediments. The best- 
fast is, when the mind is taken off from delights, as in 
John the Bapstist's case, Mat. iii. 4. when heaven and 
godly sorrow take off the soul, Zech. xii. 10 — 14. 

(3) Use it in such a measure^ as may be proper for its 
end ; without which it is worth nothing. If abstinence 
divert your mind, by reason of a gnawing appetite, then 
you had better eat sparingly, as Daniel, in his great fast, 
chap, x.2, 3. Some have not enough of spiritual mind- 
edness^ to give up themselves to fasting and prayer with- 
out great distraction; and such had better eat than go 
beyond their strength in a thing not absolutely necessary, 
which produceth only a slavish act, as in the case of 
virginity, 1 Cor. vii. 7 — 9, 34 — 36. Christ would not 
have his weak disciples necessitated to the duty, 3Iat, 
ix. 14, 15. In the mean time, such should strive to be 
sensible of the weakness and carnality that hinders their 
use of this excellent help, 

9. You may expect here something to be spoken of 
voivs. But I shall only say this of them. Think not to 
bring yourselves to good by vows and promises, as if tl\e 



OF* SANCTIFICA TION. 269 

strength of your own law could do it, when the strength 
of God's law doth it not. MVq bring children to make 
promises of amendment ; but we know how well they 
keep diem. The Devil will urge you to vow, and then 
to break, that he may perplex your conscience the more. 

10. Another great mean is^fellorvship ajid commimion 
with the saints^ Acts ii. 42.. 

First. This mean must be used diligently. Whoso- 
ever God saveth^ should be added to some visible church 
and come into communion of other saints ; and, if they 
have no opportunity for it, their heart should be bent 
towards it. Sometimes the church is in the wilderness, 
and hindered from visible communion and ordinances ; 
but they that believe in Christ, are always v/illing and 
desirous so to add and join themselves, Acts ii. 41, 44, 
47. "And they continued steadfastly in fellowship,^ 

1 John ii. 19. And God binds his people to leave the 
fellowship and society of the wicked as much as may b€, 

2 Cor. vi. 17. And so far as we are necessitated to ac- 
company with them, we ought to shew charity to their 
souls and bodies, 1 Cor. v. 9. This communion with 
saints is to be exercised in private converse^ Psal. ci. 4 
•—7. and in public assemblies^ Heb. x. 25. Zech. xiv. 16, 
17. And duobtless, it ought to be used for the attain- 
ment of holiness ; as may be proved. 

1st. In general, because Godcomyjiunicates all salvation 
to a people ordinarily by, or in a church,; either by tak- 
ing them into fellowship, or holding forth the light of 
truth by his churches to the world. A church is the 
temple of God^ where God dwells, 1 Tim. iii. 15. He 
hath placed his name and salvation there, as in Jerusa- 
lem of old, Joel ii. 32. 2 Chron. vi. 5, 6. He hath given 
to his churches thos-e officers and ordinances whereby 
he converts others, 1 Cor. xii. 28. His springs are there,. 
Psalm Ixxxviii. 7. He makes the several members of a 
church, instruments for the conveyance of his grace and 
fulness from one to another, as the members of the na- 
tural body convey to each other the fulness of the head, 
Eph. iv. 16, All the nexv-born are brought forth and' 

•W2 



2ro TIIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

nourished by the church, Isa. Ixvi. 8—11. xHx. 20, and 
Ix. 4; and therefore, all that would be saved should join 
to a church ; they shall prosper that love the chiuxb, so 
as to stand in its gates, and unite as members, brethren 
and companions, i*sal. cxxii. 2, 4, 6. And wrath is 
denounced against those that are not members of it, at 
least of the mystical body ; they cannot have God for 
their father, that have not that for their mother. Song 
i. 7, 8. This maketh those that do desire fellowship 
with God, to take hold of the skirts of his people^ Zech. 
viii. 23. 

2d. In particular, fellowship with the saints conduceth 
to holiness many ways. 

[l] By manifold helps to holiness, which are received 
thereby: as, (l) The word and sacraments^ As:th ii. 
42. Isa. ii. 3. Mat, xxviii. 19, 20. and all the minis' 
terial office and labour in watching over souls, Heb. xiii. 
17. 1 Thess. V. 12, 13. Isa. xxv. 6. None of these 
helps can be enjoyed without fellowship of saints, each 
•with other. And, if believers had been to have stood 
single by themselves, and not maintained fellowship 
with each other for mutual assistance and common good, 
Bone of these things could have continued ; neither 
Gould any believer have been extant at this day, in any 
ordinary way, but even the very name of believers had 
been abolished. (2) Mutual prayer^ which is the more 
forcible when all pray together, Mat. xviii. 19, 20. 2Cor. 
3. 10, 11. James v. 16. Rom. xv. SO. (3) Mutual ad- 
monition^ instruction^ consolation^ to help each other 
when they are ready to fall, and to promote the good 
work in each other, 1 Thes. v. 14. ^> He that walketh 
with wise men shall be wise," Prov. xiii. 20. ' Wo to him 
that is alone when he falleth,' see Eccl. iv. 9 — 12. In 
church fellowship there are many helpers, many to 
watch. Soldiers have their security in company; and 
the church is compared to an army xvith banners^ Song 
vi. 4, 10. So, for quickening affections, iron sharpen- 
cth iron^ Prov. xxvii. 17. Likewise, the counsel of 
a friend^ like ointment and perfume, rejoiccih the 
heart^Vro, xxvii. 9. Yer, the wounds and reproofs'of 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX. 471 

the righteous are as precious balm, Psal. cxli. 4. (4) 
External supports^ which mitigate afliictions, and are to 
be communicated mutually, Eph, iv. 28. 1 Pet. iv. 9, 
10. The affliction is increased, when none careth for 
our souls, Psal. cxlii. 4. (5) Excommvnication^ when 
offences are exceeding heinous, or men obstinate in sin. 
This ordinance is appointed for the destruction of the 
fiesh^ that the Spirit may be saved^ 1 Cor. v. 5. Better 
and more hopeful it is to be cast out by the church, for 
a person's amendment, than to be wholly w^ithout the 
church at all times ; and better to be a lost sheep, than 
a goat or swine; for excommunication cuts off" actual 
communion only, until repentance be evident ; and not 
absolutely abolisheth the title and relation of a brother 
and church- member, though it judgeth one to be an un- 
natural brother, and a pernicious rotten member at pre- 
sent, not fit for acts of communion. Besides, admoni- 
tion is still to be afforded, 2Thess. iii. 15. and any" 
means are to be used thatmaj^ serve to cure and restore 
him. The church reacheth forth a hand to help such 
a person, though it doth not join in fellowship with him ; 
or it communicateth to him, not with him. Yet if he 
have not so much grace as to repent, it "were better he 
had never knoAvn the way of righteousness," 2 Pet. ii* 
21. (6) The lively examples of saints are before our 
eyes in church fellowship, to teach and encourage, PhiL 
iii. ir. and iv. 9. 2 Tim. iii. 10, 11. 2 Cor. ix. 2. 

2. By those holy duties that are required, and do ap- 
pertain to this fellowship and communion. AH acts that 
belong to this fellowship are holy; as, hearings receiv- 
ing the sacraments^ prayer^ mutual ad?nonitio7is^ &c. I 
shall consider some such holy acts, whereby we are 
rather doers than receivers^ and which we perform to- 
wards others ; as, (1) Godly discourse^ teaching, ad- 
monishing, comforting others in Christ ; which we can* 
not so perform towards others, as towards those we have 
strict fellowship wkh in Christ. Others like swinc^ 
trample these jewels under foot ; and saints therefore 
are forced to refraip from godly discourse in their com- 
pany, Amos v. lb, 13.. yi* 10. But holy discourse is. 



.<i... 



272 TIIE GOSPEL MYSTEr.T 

most acceptable to the saints, and to be practised with 
them, Mai. iii. 16, and is greatly to the advantage of 
holiness, Pro. xi. 25. (2) In help in ^^ succouring- and 
conversing- with Christ in his members. We do good, 
to Christ in his members in church fellowship ; and 
we I ourselves as members of Christ, act as VitW front 
as torvards Christ ; whereas, if we do good to others 
ruithout^ we do good only for Christ's sake, but not to. 
Christ, Mat. xxv. 35—49. Psa. xvi. 2, 3.. We have ad- 
vantage in general, to do all duties that belong to us as 
members of Christ to fellow members ; which we cannot 
do, if separate from them; as natural members cannot 
perform its office to other members if separate from them. 
Secondly. The means must be used rightly^ for the 
attaining of holiness 07ily in Christ. 

1. One rule \Sydo not trust on church membership^or on 
ehurches, as if this or that fellowship commended you to 
God of itself ; whereas, a church-way is but a help to fel- 
lowship with Christ, and walking in the duties of that fel- 
lowship. The Israelites stumbled at Christ, by trusting 
On their carnal privileges, and set them in opposition to 
Christ; whereas, they should have only made them sub- 
servient to Christ. Confidence in them should have been 
abandoned, as Paul's example teacheth,Phi. iii. 3 — 5,&c. 
We must not glory in Paul, ApoUos, or Cephas, but in 
Christ; else w^ glory in the fleshy and in men^ 1 Cor.i. 12, 
13. iii. 21. Trusting on church privileges is an inlet to 
formality and licentiousness, Jer.vii. 4,8— 10. and thence 
the corruption of churches, Isa. i. 10. 2 Tim. ii. 20. 

2. Follow no church any farther th^in yon m^y follow 
it in thexvay of Christ ; and keep fellowship with it only 
upon the account of Christ, and because it follows and 
hath fellowship with Christ, 1 John i. 3. Zee. viii. 23»^ 
If a church revolt from Christ, we must not follow it, 
how ancient soever it may be ; as the Israelitish church 
was not to be followed, when it persecuted Christ and his 
apostles ; and many, by adhering to that church, fell far- 
ther from Christ, Phil. iii. 6. Acts vi. 13, 14.xxi. 28. 

We are indeed to hear the churchy but not every one- 
that calls itself so i and none any farther than it speak- 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 273 

eth as a true church according to the voice cf the shep- 
herd^ John X. 27. We mast subject ourselves to minis- 
ters of Clirist, and stewards of his mysteries, 2 Cor. iv. 
1. but must give up ourselves first to Christ absolutely^ 
and to the church according to the will of Christy 2 Cor. 
viii. 5. OwY fear must not be tavght by the precepts of 
7nen^ Mat. xv. 3 — -9. The doctrines cf any men arc to be 
tried by the scripture, whatever authority they pretend 
to, Acts xvii. 11. An unlimited following of the church- 
guides, brought the church into Babylon, and into all 
manner of spiritual whoredoms and abominations. You 
are not baptized into the name of the churchy but into 
the name of Christy 1 Cor. i. 13. 

3. Do not think, that you must attain this or that 
degree ofgrace^ before you join yourself iwfull communiGn 
v/ith a church of Christ in all crdinanccs. But when you 
have given up yourself to Christ, and learned the duty of 
communion ; give up yourself unto a church of Christ, 
though you find much weakness and inability. For, 
church ordinancesof special communion, serve to streng- 
then you j and how can you get heat, being alone ? The 
disciples, as soon as converted, embraced ^Mfellorvship^ 
Acts ii. 42. And churches, that they may forward holi- 
ness in themselves and others, must be willing to re- 
ceive Christ's weak ones, and to feed his lambs as well 
as his better grown sheep, and bear them on their sides^ 
Isa. Ixvi. 12. How else shall Christ's weak ones grow 
strong by that nourishment that other parts supply l*-^ 
They are very unreasonable indeed, that expect chris- 
tians should grov,^, out of church-fellowship, to as high 
a degree of grace, as those that are in those pastures of 
tender grass ; and are unwilling to receive any that they 
are like to have occasion to bear 'vvith : w^hereas, bear- 
ing and long-suffering are great duties of church-fel- 
lowship, Eph. iv. 2, 3. Rom. xiv. !• ^rhe weakest 
have most need to be strengthened by church-commun- 
ion, and we are bound to receive them, as Christ hath 
received us, Rom. xv. 7. We do not reject or separate 
the v/eaker pnrts of the body, 1 Cor. xii. 23, 24; but 
put mprc honour and comeliness on them^ 



274 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

Admission into churches, in the apostolic times, was 
gained upon profession, with a shew of seriousness ; 
though tares got in among the wheat, and many scan- 
dals ^rose to the reproach of the ways of Christ ; and 
the greatest strictnesss will not keep oat all hypocrites ; 
yet the best care must be taken so far as not to hinder 
any that have the least truth of grace. 

4. Keep communion with 3. churchy for iht saie of 
communion zuzth Christy 1 John i. 3. Zech. viii. 23. 
Therefore you must keep communion in Christ's pure 
ways only ; and, in them, seek Christ by faith ; that, 
in the enjoyment of diese .advantages, you may receive 
and act the godliness and holiness fore-mentioned, and 
aim at spiritual flourishing and growth in grace. Choose 
therefore fellowship with the most spiritual churches.*-^ 
Judge of churches and men, according to the rule of 
the new creature^ 2 Cor. v. 16, 17 ; and try them^ Rev. 
ii. 2. iii. 9 ; otherwise a church may corrupt you. See 
that thy communion answer its end^ tend to thy edijica-- 
tioUy not to destruction ; which you ought to take all 
the advantages of, not only in the church where you 
are a member, but by com.munion with other churches, 
as occasionally providence casts you among them ; for 
your communron with a particular church, obligeth. 
you to communion with all churches of Christ in 
his ways, as you are called thereto, 1 Cor. x. 17.^— 
And it is an abuse to say, we are members of a church 
inLondon, and therefore refuse fellowship with a church 
in the country ; seeing if we are members of Christ, 
wt are members of one another, whether single per- 
sons or churches. And endeavour to join in fellowship 
with the godly of the place where you live, that you 
may have the more frequent and constant communion. 
Onesimus, though converted at Home, must be one of 
the church of the Colossians, because he lived there, 
Col. iv. 6. compared v/ith Philemon, ver. 10. The 
unio?i of the saints together in distant societies, Record- 
ing to the places where they lived, was the apostolic 
practice^ and cannot be violated without sin. Such 
pari best watch over one another,^ admonish, comfort,^ 



OF SANCTIFICATION. 275 

and edify each other, which is the benefit of the com- 
munion. And they indeed destroy communion, that 
s^-ek a communion where they cannot have this benefit. 
I only add to this head, that church-fellowship, without 
practising the ways of Christ, is but a conspiracy to 
take his name in vain, and a counterfeit church-fellow- 
ship of hypocrites. It is impudence for such to invite 
others to their communion ; tyranny, to compel them. 
Every christian is bound to seek a better church-fellow- 
ship by reformation ; and those that do so, are the best 
vsons of Christ's church, who inquire, is this the way 
to enjoy Christ ? a church-way being appointed to enjoy 
Christ therein. 

5. Especially, leave not the church in persecution^ 
when you need its help most, and are then most tried 
whether you w ill cleave to it. Tliis is a sign of apostacy, 
Heb. X. 25, 26. Mat. xxiv. 9 — 14. We should cleave 
to one another as one fiesh^ even to prisons and death, 
or else we deny Christ in his members, Mat. xxv. 43, 



DIRECTION XIV. 

That you "may seek holiness and righteousness only by believing' in 
Christ, and walking in him by faith, according" to the former di- 
rections, take encouragement from the great advantage of this 
way, and the excellent properties of it. 

EXPLICATION. 

This direction may serve as an epilogue^ or conclu- 
sion, by stirring us up into a lively and cheerful em- 
bracing those gospel rules before mentioned, by several 
weighty motives. Many are kept from seeking godliness 
because they know not the way to it; or the way that they 
think of, aeems uncouth, unpleasant, disadvantageous, 
5inci full of discouragement ; like the way through the 
wilderness to Canaan, which wearied the Israelites, and 
occasioned their many miirmurings^ Kum. xxi. 4. 

But this is a way so good and so excellent, that those 
that have the true knowledge of it, and desire heartily 
to be godly, cannot dirJike it. 1 shall shew the exccllenctf 



276 TlIE GOSrEL MYSTERY 

of it, In several particulars. But you should first call to 
mind what is the way 1 have taught, viz, iinioa and fel- 
loTV^ihip xvilli Chr'iHt; and by faith in Christ, as discovt red 
in the gospel ; not by the law, or in a natural condition, 
or by thinking to get it before v/e come to Christ, to 
procure Christ by it, which is striving against the stream ; 
but that v/e must first apply Christ and his salvation to 
ourselves, for our comfort, and that by confident iaith ; 
and then walk by that faith, according to the new man 
in Christ, and not as in a natural condition : and use all 
means of holiness rightly for this end. Nov/, that this 
is an excellent advantageous way, appears by the fol- 
lowing desirable properties of it. 

1, It hath this property, that it tends to the abasement 
of all fleshy and exaltation of God only, in his grace and 
power through ('hrist. And so it is agreeable to God's 
design in all his v/orks, and the end he aimeth at, Rom. 
xi. G. Isa. ii. IT. Ezek. xxxvi. 21 — 23, 31, 32. Psa. cxlv. 
4; and a fit means for the attaining the end we ought 
to aim a.t, in the first place, which is the hallowing, s -ac- 
tifying, and glorifying God's name in all things ; and is 
the first and chief petition. Mat. vi. 9 ; and is the end of 
all our actings, 1 Cor. x. 31 ; was the end of giving 
the law, Rom. iii. 19, 20. God made all things for 
Christ, and would have him have the preeminence in 
rdl. Col. i. 17, 18 ; that the Father may be glorijied in 
the SoUy John xiv. 1 3. And this property of it is a great 
argument to prove, that it is the way of God, and hath 
th ' character of his image stamped upon it. We may 
say that it is like nim^ and a way according to his heart ; 
as Christ proveth nis doctrine to be of God by this ar- 
gument, John vii. 18. And Paul proveth the doctrine 
of justification, and of sanctification, and salvation by- 
grace through faith, lo be of God ; because it excludes 
all boastings of .he creature, Rom. ill. 27, 28. 1 Cor. i. 
29 — '31. Eph. iii. 8, 9. 'j'his property appears evidently 
in the mystery of sauctifica ion by Christ in us through 
fviith. For (l) itsheweth, that v/e c^ai do novhing by 
o ir natural wilX or dwy poiver of rlic flesh ; and ih.u Sod 
vniiiiot enable us to do any thing that v/ay, Rom. viii. 



OF SANCTinCATION. 277 

18. however nature be stirred up by the law, ornatural 
helps, Gal, iii. 11, 21. And so it serveth to work self- 
lothing and abasement, and to make us look upon nature 
as desperately wicked, and past cure, and not to be re- 
formed, but put off by putting on Christ. It remains 
\v icked, and only wicked, after we have put on Christ. 
2. Itshcweth, that all our good works, and living to 
God, are not by our own power and strength at all, but 
by the power of Christ, living in us by faith ; and that 
God enabled us to act, not merely according to our na- 
tural power, as he enableth carnel men, and all other 
creatures, but above our own power, by Christ united 
to us, and in us through the Spirit. AH men live^ movcy 
and have their being in him ; and by his universal sup- 
port and maintenance of nature in its being and activity 
they act, Heb. i. 3 ; so that the glory of their actings, 
as creatures, belongs to God» But God acts more im- 
mediately in his people^ who are one flesh and one Spirit 
with Christ, and act not by their own power, but by the 
power of the Spirit of Christ in them, as closely uni- 
ted to him, and being the living temples of his Spirit : 
so that Christ is the immediate principal agent of all 
their good works, and they are Christ's works properly, 
who works all our works in us and for us ; and yet they 
are the saints' works by fellowship with Christ, by whose 
light and power the faculties of the saints do act, and 
are acted^ Gal. ii. 20. Eph. iii. 16, 17. Col. i. 1 ; so that 
we are to ascribe all our works to God in Christ, and 
thank him for them as free gifts, 1 Cor. xv. 10. Phil.i.ll. 
God enableth us to. act not by ourselves, as he doth 
others, but by himself. The wicked are supported in 
acting only according to their own nature ; so they act 
wickedly : thus all are said to live^ move^ and have their 
being in God^ Acts xvi. 27. But God enableth us to con- 
quer sin, not by ourselves, but by himself, Hos. i. 7 , 
and the glory of enabling us doth not only belong tohuii, 
which the Pharisee could not but ascribe to him, Luke 
xviii. 11 j but also the glory of deling all in us. And 
yet we work as one with Christ, even as he works as 

X 



^278 THE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

one with the Father, by the Father working in him.— 
Wc live as branches by the juice of the vine, act as mem- 
bers by the animal spirits of the head, and bring forth 
fruit by marriage to him as our husband, and work in 
the strength of him as the living bread we feed on. He 
is all in the new man, Col. iii. 1 1 ; and all the promises 
are made good in him, 2 Cor. i. 20. 

2dly. It hath this property, that it consisteth well with 
other doctrines of the gospel ; which contrary errors do 
not. And hence this is the way to confirm us in many 
other points of the gospel ; and therefore appears to be 
true by harmony with other truths, and fit linking with 
them in the same golden chain of the mystery of god- 
liness I and evidenceth them to be true by their har- 
mony with it. J have shewed, that men's mistaking 
the true way of sanctification, is the cause of perverting 
the scripture in other points of faith, and of declining 
from the truth, to Popish, Socinian and Arminian tenets, 
because men cannot seriously take that for truth, which 
they judge not to be according to godliness. But this 
way of holiness vvdll evidence, that these gospel doc- 
trines, w^hich they refuse, are according to godliness ; 
and that those tenets, which a blind zeal for holiness 
moveth them to embrace, are indeed contrary to holi- 
ness ; however Satan appeareth to their natural under- 
standings as an angel of light in such tenets. Whatever 
men say, it is certain that legalists are indeed the Anti- 
uomians. I shall instance in some truths confirmed by it. 

,1. The doctrine of original sin^ viz. not only the guilt 
of Adam's sin, and a corrupt nature, but utter impo- 
tency to do spiritual good, and proneness to sin, which 
is death to God, in all people according to nature, Psa. 
li. 5. Rom. V. 12. There is an utter inability to keep 
the law truly in any point. Many deny this doctrine; 
because they think, that if people believe this they will 
excuse their sins by it, and be apt to despair of all striv- 
ing to do good works, and leave off all endeavours, and 
grow licentious ; and they think it will be more con- 
ducing to godliness tahokl and teach, either that there 



OF SANCTIFICA'riON. 279^ 

is no original sin or corruption derived from Adam, or 
at least, it is done away; either in the world by uni- 
versal redemption, or in the church by baptism ; and 
that there is free will restored, whereby the people are 
able to incline themselves to do good, that men be more 
encouraged to set upon good works, and their neglect 
made inexcusable. All this is, indeed, forcible against 
seeking and endeavoviring for holmess by the free-wdll 
and power of nature, and is the w^ay of endeavouring 
which I directed you to avoid. If there w^ere no new 
way to holiness since the fall, original sin might make 
us despair ; but there is a 7iew birth^ a new hearty a 
new creature^ and therefore we have directed you to 
the seeking of holiness, by the Spirit of Christ, and 
willing good freely by a spiritual power, as new crea- 
tures, partakers of a divine nature in Christy Yea, it 
5 s necessary to know the first Adam, that we may know 
the second, Rom. v. 12 ; to believe the fall and ori- 
ginal sin, that we may be stirred up to fly to Christ by 
faith for holiness by free gift, knowing that we cannot 
attain it by our own power and free-will, 2 Cor. i. 9. 
Mat. ix. 12, 13. Rom. vii. 24, 25. 2 Cor. in. 5. Eph. 
V. 14. There v/ere no need of a new man, or a new 
creation, if the old were not w^ithout strength and life, 
John iii. 5, 6. Eph. ii. 8. But original deadness can- 
not hinder God's working faith and hungerings and 
thirstings after Christ, by the Spirit, through the gos- 
pel, in those that God chooseth to vv^alk holily and 
blameless before him in love, 1 Thess. i. 4, 5. Acts 
xxvi. 18. And so we are made alive in a new head^ 
and become branches of another vine, living to God 
by the Spirit, not by nature. 

2. It confirms us in the doctrine of predestination ; 
which many deny, because they say, it takes men off 
from endeavours, as fruitless, by telling men, that all 
events are predetermined. This argument v/ould be 
niore forcible against endeavours by the power of our 
own free-rvill^ but not at all against endeavours for 
holiness by the. operation of Godj giving us faith and 



3sa TIIE GOSPEL »ITSTERY 

all holiness by his own Spirit working in us through 
Christ. We are to trust on Christ for the grace of the 
elect, and God's good will towards men, Mat. iii. 17. 
Luke ii. 14. Psa. cvi. 4, 5. Election by grace destroys 
seeking by xvorks^ but not by gracc^ Rom. xi. 5, 6.— 
And we are here taught to seek for salvation only in 
the way of the elect; and w^e may conclude, that ho- 
liness is to be had by God's will, and not by our own ; 
and it may movs us to desire holiness by the w ill of 
God, Rom. ix. 16. Psa. ex. 3. And seeing, it ap- 
pears, by this doctrine of sanctification through Christ, 
that we are God's workmanship, as to all the good 
Wrought in us, Phil. ii. 12, \o. Eph. ii. 10; we may 
well admit, that he hath appointed his pleasure from 
eternity, without infringing the natural liberty of our 
corrupt wills, which reacheth not unto good works. 
Acts XV. 18. compared with 36, Man's natural free- 
will may well consist v/ith God's decree ; as in Para- 
dise, Decretum radix coiitigejUzcp, 

3. It confirms us in the true doctrine oi Justif cation 
and reconciliation with God by faith^ relying on the 
therits of Christ's blood, without any vrorks of our 
ov/n ; and without considering faith as v/ork to procure 
favour by the righteousness of the act, but only as a 
hand to receive the gift, or as the very eating and 
drinking of Christ actually, rather than any kind of 
condition entitling us to him as our food, ^lliis great 
doctrine of the gospel many hate, as breaking the 
strongest bounds of holiness, and opening away to all 
licentiousness ; for they reckon the conditionality of 
works to attain God's favour, and avoid his wrath, 
and the necessity of them to salvation, are the most 
necessary and effectual impulses to all holiness ; and 
they account, that the other doctrines opens the flood- 
gates of licentiousness. And truly this consideration 
would be of some weight, if people were to be brought 
to holiness by moral suasion, and their natund endea-r 
vours stirred up by the terms of the law, and by slavish 
fears and jnercenary hopes ; for the force of these mo^ 



OF SAmmFICTATION. 281 

lives would be altogether enervated by the doctrine of 
justification by free grace. 

But I have already shewed, that a man, being a 
guilty dead creature, cannot be brought to serve God 
out of love, by the force of any of these motives- ;■ 
and that we are not sanctified by any of our own en- 
deavours to work holiness in ourselves, biJit rather byv 
faith in Christ^s death and resurrection, even the same 
whereby we are justified; and that the urging of the 
law stirs up sin ; and that the freedom from it is ne- 
cessary to all holiness, as the apostle teacheth, Rom. 
vi. 11, 14. vii. 4, 5. And this way of sanctification 
confirms the doctrine of justification by faith, as the 
apostle informeth, Rom. vii. 1. For, if we are sanc- 
tified, and so restored to the image of God, and life 
by the Spirit, through faith ; it is evident that God^ 
hath taken us into his favour, and pardoned our sins 
by the same faith, without the law ; or else we should 
not have the fruits and effects of his favour thereby to 
our eternal salvation, Rom. viii. 2. Yea, his justice 
would not admit his giving life without works, if we 
were not made righteous in Christ by the same faiths 
And we cannot trust, to have holiness freely given us 
by Christ, upon any rational ground, except we can 
also trust on the same Christ for free reconciliation, 
and forgiveness of sins for our justification ; neither 
can guilty cursed creatures, that cannot work by rea- 
son of their deadness under the curse, be brought to 
a rational love of God, except they apprehend his lov- 
ing them first freely,, without works, 1 John iv. 19.— 
The great objection and reason: of so many controver- 
sies and books written about it, is, because they think 
that men will trust to be saved however they live.-— 
But sanctification is an effect of justification, and fiow- 
eth from the same grace; and we trust for them both 
by the same faith, and for the latter in order to the 
former. And such a faith, be it ever so confident, 
tendeth not to licentiousness, but to holiness ; and we 
grant, that justification by grace destroys holiness by» 

X2. 



282 THE GOSPEL afYSlT^RY 

legal endeavours, but not by grace. So that there is 
no need to live a papist, and die an antinomian, 

4. It confirms us in the doctrine of real union xuith 
Christy so plentifully held forth in scripture; which 
doctrine some account as a vain notion, and cannot 
endure it, because tliey think it worketh not holiness, 
but presumption : whereas, I have shewed, that it is 
absolutely necessary for the enjoyment of spiritual life 
and holiness, which is treasured up in Christ ; and that 
so inseparably that we cannot have it w^ithout a real 
union with him, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 1 John v. 12. John vi. 
53. XV. 5. 1 Cor. i. 30. Col. iii, 11. The members 
and branches cannot live without union with the vine 
and head ; nor the stones be part of the living temple, 
except they be really joined mediately or immediately 
to the comer-stone. 

5. It confirms us in the doctrine of a certain Jinal 
perseverance of the saints, John iii. Z^. vi. 37. v. 24. 

1 John iii- 9. 1 Thes. v. 24. Phil. i. 6. Jo. x. 23, 29. 
iv. 14. They think this doctrine maketh people care- 
less of good v/orks. I answer, it maketh people care* 
less of seeking them by their oijon VMtural strength^ 
'and in a way of slavish fear ; but careful and courage- 
ous in trusting on the grace of Gcd for them,. wHen 
tkey are brought by regeneration, heartily to desire 
them, Rom. vi. 14. Numb. xiii. 30; setting upon the. 
doing of them in that grace, 1 Thes. v. 8 — 11. And 
I have shewed, that all fears of damnation will never 
bring persons to work out of love ; and that nothing 
will do it but a comforable doctrine. 

3dly. It hath this excellent property, that it is the 
never failings effectually poxveiful^ alone sufficient^ and 
sure way to attain to true holiness. They that have 
the truth in them, find it ; and the truly humble find 
it. People strive in vain, when they seek it in any 
other way : therefore venture wdth the lepers, else you 
die^ 2 Kings vii. Isa. iv. 2, 3, 7. All other ways either 
stir up sin, or increase despair' in you ; as seeking ho- 
.Ifness by the law^, -and w'orking under the curse doth 3; 



OF SANCTIFICATION. Us 

and breeds but slavish and hypocritictil obedience at 
best, and restrains sin only, mstead of moriitying it^ 
Gal. iv. 25. The Jews sought another way, and 
could not attain it, Rom. ix. And all that seek it an- 
other way ^^ shall lie down in sorrow," Isa. 1. 11. 
Ai.d that, 

(1) Because, as we are under the law in our natural 
state, we are dead and children of xorath^ Eph. ii. 1, 3, 
And the law curseth us, instead of helping us, Gal. iir^ 
10; and giveth no life by its obligation, GaL iir. 21. 
And we cannot work holiness in ourselves, Rom. v. 6. 
So that a humble person finds it in vain, to seek ho- 
liness by the law, or his own strength ; for the laxv is 
weak through our jlesh. Seeking a pure life without 
a pure nature, is building without a foundation. And 
there is no seeking a new nature from the law, for it 
bids us make brick without straw, and saith to the 
cripple, xvalk^ without giving any strength. 

(2) In this way only God is reconciled to us, even 
in Christ, 2 Cor. v. 19. Eph. i. 7. And so he loves 
us, and is a fit object of our love, 1 John iv. 19. And 
so, in this way only, we have a new and divine na- 
ture by the Spirit of Christ in us, effectually carrying 
us forth to holiness with life and love, Rom. viii. 5. 
Gal. V. 17. 2 Pet. i. 3, 4; and have new hearts ac- 
cording to the law ; so that we serve God heartily ac- 
cording to the new nature, and cannot but serve him, 
1 John iii. 9. So that here is a sure foundation for 
godliness, and love to God with all our heart, might 
and soul ; and sin is not only restrained, but mortified, 
and not only the outside made clean, but the inside^ 
and the image of God renewed ; and holy actings 
surely follow. "We sin not according to the old na- 
ture, though we are not perfect in degree, because of 
the old nature. 

4thly. It is a most pleasant way to those that are in 
it, Prov. iii. 17 : and that in several respects. 

1. It is a most j^/ai/z way, easy to be found, to one 
that see^ hb own deadness under the law, and is so re* 



384 TIIE GOSPEL MYSTERY 

newed in the spirit of his mind, as to know and be per- 
suaded of the truth of the gospel. Though such may 
be troubled and pestered with many legal thoughts and 
-workings ; yet, when they seriously consider things, the 
way is so plain, that they think it folly and madness to 
go in any other way; so that '^the wayfaring men, 
though fools, shall not err therein," Isa. xxxv. 8. Pro. 
viii. 9. The enlightened soul cannot think of another 
way, when truly humbled. Pro. i. 8. And w^hen we are 
in Christ, we have his Spirit to be our guide in this 
way, 1 John ii. 27« John xvi. 13. So that we need not 
be filled with such distracting thoughts, about know- 
ledge of our way as legal Spirits are about thousands 
of cases of conscience, which do so multiply upon 
them, that they despair of finding out the way of reli- 
gion, by reason of so various doubts, and manifold in- 
tricacies. Here we may be sure, that God will so far 
teach us our duties, as that we shall not be misled with 
error, so as to continue in it to destruction, Psa. xxv. 8, 
9, 14. What a trouble is it to a traveller to be doubtful 
of his way, and without a guide, when his business is of 
great importance, upon life and death ? It is even a 
heart-breaking. But those that are in this way, may 
be sure that though they sometimes err, yet they shall 
not err destructively, but shall discern their way again,^ 
Gal. iv. r— 10. 

2. It is easy to those that walk in it, by the Spirit^ 
though it be difficult to get into it by reason of the oppo- 
sition of the flesh, or devil scaring us, or seducing us 
from it. Here you have holiness as a free gift received 
by faith, an act of the mind and soul. Whosoever will, 
may come, take it^ and drink freely ; and nothing is re- 
quired but a willing mind, John vii. 38. Isa. Iv. 1. Rev. 
xxii. 17. But the law is an intolerable burden, Mat. 
xxiii. 5. Acts XV. 10. if duty be laid upon us by its 
terms. We are not left in this way to conquer lusts by 
endeavours ; which is a successless work ; but what is 
duty is given, and the law is turned into promises, Heb. 
rii. 6— 13. Ez. xx^^vi. 25; 26. Jen xxxi; 33. xxxii. 40.. 



OF SANCTIFICATIOX. 285 

We have all now in Christ, Col. iii. 11. ii. 9, 10,15, IT. 
This is a catholic medicine instead of a thousand. 
How pleasant would this free gift, hcliness^ be to us 
if we knew our own v/ants, inabilities, and sinfulness ! 
How ready are sonae to toil continually, macerate their 
bodies in a melancholy legal way, to get holiness, 
rather than perish for ever ! And therefore how ready 
would we be, when it is only, taie and have ! Be- 
lieve^ and be sanctified and saved ! 2 Kings v. 13. 
Christ's burden is light by his Spirit's bearing it, Mat. 
xi. 10. .jSlo weariness, but renexvtng of strength^ Isa* 
xl. 31, 

3. It is a xvay of peace ^ Prov. iii. 17 ; free from fears 
and terrors of conscience, that those meet with un- 
avoidably who seek salvation by works ; for the lavj 
tvorketh wrath^ Rom. iv. 15. It is not the way of 
mount Sinai, but Jerusalem, Ileb. xii. 18, 22, The 
doubts of salvation that people meet with, arise froni 
putting some condition of works between Christ and 
themselves; as hath appeared in this discourse. But 
©ur walking in this way, is by faith, which rejects 
such fears and doubtings, John xiv. 1. Mark v. 36. 
Hcb. X. 19, 22. It is free frcm Satan or any evil^ 
Rom. viii. 31, 32 ; and free from all slavish fears of 
perishing by our sins, 1 John ii. 1, 2. Phil. iv. 6, 7 ; 
faith laying hold on infinite grace, mercy and power 
to secure us ; " The Lord is our keeper and shade on 
the right hand," Psa. cxxi. 5. Free and powerful 
grace answers all objections. 

4. It is a way that is paved with hve^ like Solomon's 
chariot, Song iii. 10. We are to set God's loving kind- 
ness, and all the gifts of his love, still before our eyes, 
Psa. xxvi. 2. Christ's death, resurrection, intercession, 
before our eyes; which breed peace ^ joy^ hope^ love^ 
Rom. XV. 13. Isa.xxxv. 10. You must believe for your 
justification, adoption, the gift of the Spirit, and a future 
inheritance; your death and resurrection with Christ. 
In believing for these things, your whole way is adorn- 
ed with flowers, and hath these fruits grov/ing on each 



2B6 THE GOGPEL MYSTERY 

side ; so that it is through the garden of Eden, rather 
than the wilderness of Sinai, Acts ix. 31. Ii is the office 
of the Spirit our guide, to be our comforter, and not a 
spirit of bondage^ Rom. viii. 15. Peace and joy are great 
duties in this way, Phil, iv. 4 — 6. God doth not drive 
us on with whips and terrors, and by the rod of the 
school-master, the law ; but leads us, and wins us to 
walk in his ways, by allurements. Song i. 3. Hos. xi. 3, 
4. See such allurements, 2 Cor. v. 15. vii. 1. Rom. xii. 1. 
5. Our very moving^ actings icalkmg^ in this way is 
a pleasure and delight. Every good work is done with 
pleasure; the very labour of the way is pleasant. Car- 
nal men wish duties were not necessary, and they are 
burdensome to them ; but they are pleasant to us ; be- 
cause we do not gain holiness by our own carnal fear, 
With regret and grief, atd setting conscience and the 
law against them, to hinder their actings; but we act 
natural!)^, according to the new nature, and perform our 
new spiritual desires by walking in the ways of God 
through Christ; and our lusts, and pleasures in sin, arc 
not only restrained, but taken away in Christ ; and plea- 
sures in holiness freely given us, and implanted in us, 
Rom. viii. 5. Gal. v. 17, 24, John iv. 34. Psa. viii. 5. xl. 
8. cxix. 14, 16, 20. We have a new taste and savour, 
love and liking by the Spirit of Christ; and look on the 
law, not as a burden, but as our privilege in Christ. 

5thly. It is a high exalted zvay^ above all other ways* 
Unto this way the prophet Habakkuk is exalted, when, 
upon the failure of all visible helps and supports, he re- 
solves to rejoice in the Lord^ and joy in the God of his 
salvation ; and by making God his strength by faith, ^'his 
feet should be as hinds feet, and should walk upon his 
high places," Hab. iii. 18, 19. These are the heavenly 
' places in Christ Jesiis^ that God hath set us in, "being 
quickened and raised up together with him,'' Eph.ii. 5,6. 
1. W"e live high here; for " we live not after the flesh, 
but after the Spirit,'' and Christ in iis^ v/ith all his ful- 
ness, Rom. viii. 1, 2. Gal* ii. 20. v. 25. AVe v/alk ia 
fellowship with God dxveUing in usy ^lidxva liing in ic^ 



OF S.VJ^CTIFICATION. 28r 

2 Cor. vi. 16, 18. And therefore our works are of high- 
er price and excellency, than the works of others ; be- 
cause they are wrought in Godj John iii. 21. and are the 
frtdts of God's Spirit, Gal. v. 23. Phil. i. 11. And we 
may know that they are accepted and good, by our gos- 
pel principles, which others have not, Rom. vii. 6. 

2. We are enabled to do the most difficult duties^ Ph. iv. 
1^ 3. and nothing is too hard for us. See the great works 
done by faith, Heb. xi. Mark ix. 23. works that carnal 
men think folly and madness to venture upon, (they arc 
go great) and honourable atchievements in doing and 
suffering for Christ. 

3. We walk in an honourable state v/ith God, and on 
honourable terms ; not as guilty creatures, to get our par- 
don by our works, not as bond servants, to earn our meat 
and drink, but as sons and heirs, walking towards the 
full possesion of that happiness to which we have a title ; 
and so v/e have much boldness iti God's presence, Gal. 
iv. 6, 7. We can approach nearer to God than others, 
and walk before him confidently, without siarish fear ; 
not as strangers, but as such who are of his own family, 
Eph. ii. 19, 20. And this prompts us to do greater 
things than others ; walking as free men^ Rom. vi. 17, 
18. John viii. Z^^ ^^^ It is k kingly way; the law to 
us is a royal law, a law of liberty, and our privilege; 
not a bond and yoke of compulsion. 

4. It is the way only of those that are honourable and 
precious in the eyes of the Lord^ even his elect and re- 
deemed ones, whose special privilege it is to walk there- 
in ; '^ no unclean beast goeth there," Isa. xxxv. 8, 9. 
No carnal man can walk in this way, but only those that 
are taught of Gcd^ John vi. 44 — 46. Nor would it have 
come into their hearts without divine revelation. 

5. ^Fhe preparing this way cost Christ very dear. It 
is a c^.9% way, Heb. x. 19, 20. 1 Pet. iii. 18. 

6. It is a good old way^ wherein thou mayest follow 
the footsteps of all the flock. 

7. It is the way to perfection. It leads to such holi- 
ness, v/hich shall, in a v/hile, be absolutely perfect. If 



288 THE GOSPEL ^TYS^FERY 

differs only in degrees and manner of manifestatk)n, 
from the holiness of heaven. There the suints live by 
the same Spirii ; and the same God is all and in all, 1 
Cor. XV. 28. John iv. 14. and have the image of the same 
spiritual man, 1 Cor. xv. 49. Only here we have but 
*' the first fruits o^ the Spirit," Rom. viii. 24. and " live 
by faith and not by s'p:ht,'' 2 Cor. v. 7. and " are not 
full grown in Christ," Eph iv. 13. Sanctification in 
Christ, is glorification begun ; as glorification is sancti- 
'^ication perfected. 



THE DOCTRINE 

OF 

JU STI FICATIOK 

OPENED AND APPLIED. 



For all have sinned, and come short of the ^oryof God. Beir^; 
justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Je- 
sus Christ ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through 
faith in his blood, to declare liis righteousness in the remissioit 
of sins that are past, througli the forbearance of God ; to declare, I 
say, at this time his righteousness ; that he might be just, and the 
justifier of him which believethin Jesus, Rom. iii. 23 — 26. 

THE apostle having confuted and overthrown all 
justification, either of Jew or Gentile, by works, in 
the foregoing discourse, is now proving what he as- 
serted, verses 21, 22, viz. '* that the righteousness 
of God, without the law, is manifested, being wit- 
nessed by the law and the prophets ; even the right- 
eousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ 
unto all, and upon all them that believe ; for there is 
no difference ;" shewing that now in the gospel-times, 
there is no difference between Jew and Gentile ; but 
that, in the justification of both, the righteousness of 
God, without the law is manifested. This he proveth, 
by shewing what the gospel teacheth concerning the 
way of justification ; for the gospel only reveals the 
righteousness of God, Rom. i. 16, 17. "I am not 
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for therein is the 
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." 

So the words are a declaration of the gospel-way of 
justification by the righteousness of God ; and that so 
clearly and fully, and the benefit spoken of so great 
and glorious, being the first benefit that we receive by 
union with Christ, and the foundation of all other 
benefits ; that my text is accounted to be evang^elium 

Y 



290 THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION 

cvcmgelii^ a principal part of the written gospel, as 
briefly, and yet fully expressing this excellent point, 
more than any other text. 

Note, in the words particularly, the subject declared 
and explained, viz. justification of persons, or their 
being justified : and the meaning of it here, is, to be 
cleared and freed from all ambiguities and misunder- 
standing. Justification signifieth making just ^ as sane- 
tification is making holy^ glorification m.aking glorious : 
but not making just by infusion of grace and holiness 
into a person, as the papists teach, confounding jus- 
tification and sanctification together; but making just, 
in trial and judgment, by a judicial sentence discharg- 
ing guilt, freeing from blame and accusation ; approv- 
ing, judging, owning, and pronouncing a person to be 
righteous. Use alters the signification. It is a jurid- 
ical word, or law term, and hath reference to trial and 
judgment. 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4. " With rne it is a very small 
thing, that I should be judged of you, or of any man's 
judgment; yea, I judge myself; for I know nothing 
by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that 
judgeth me is the Lord." And it is so opposed to 
condemnation in judgment, Deut. xxv. 1. '^ If there 
be a controversy betvv^een men, and they come into 
judgment, that the judges may judge them, then they 
shall justify the righteous and condemn- the Vv'icked.^' 
And Mat. xii. ^il* "By thy words thou shalt be justi- 
fied, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." — 
And it is opposed both to accusation and condemnation. 
Kom. viii. S3, 34. " Who shall lay any thing to the 
charge of God^s elect I Who is he that condemneth :" 
And so Job ix. 2.0. >^ If I justify myself, my owu 
mouth shall condemn me ;" ch. xiii. 15. "I will main- 
tain mine ov/n Vv^ays before him ;" ver. 18. '^ i have 
ordered my cause, I know that I shall be justified ;'' 
ver. 19. " Who is he that will plead with me •" liere 
justification is plainly opposed unto the accusation, cr 
fault. And it is as plainly opposed to the pa-ssing sen- 
tence of condemnation ; 1 Kings viii. 32. "-^ Go and 



OPENED AND APPLIED. 291 

judge thy servants, condemning- the wicked to bring 
his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, 
to give him according to his righteousness." In this 
sense it is a sin to justify the wicked, Isa. v. 23. Prov» 
xvii. 15. Job xxvii. 5. Actions must be existing al- 
ready, and brought to trial, that they may be justifi- 
ed, Job xxxiii. 32. Isa. xliii. 9, 26. 

Justice or righteousness consists not in the intrinsic 
nature of an action, but in its agreeableness to a rule 
of judgment ; so that actions are called just and right- 
eous, by an extrinsical denomination, with relation 
to God's rule of judging. And this righteousness ap- 
pears by trying the action according to the rule, and 
by making an estimate of it; vfhich estimate is either 
approving or disapproving, justifying or condemning^ 
finding it to be a sin or no sin, or breach of the law. 
So we may say of the righteousness of persons, with 
reference to such habits or actings. And because the 
righteousness of righteous persons r^ppears when they 
are brought to trial and judgment, therefore they are 
said then to be in a special manner justified, as if they 
were then made righteous, viz. when the righteous- 
ness is declared ; as Christ was said to be begotten the 
Son of God at the resurrection, Acts xiii. 33 ; be- 
cause he was then declared to be the Son of God, 
Rom. i. 4. And in the same sense, we that are adopt- 
ed at present, are said to wait for our adoption^ i. e. 
the manifestation of it, Rom. viii. 23. And thus even 
God is said to be justified, when we judge of his act- 
ings as we ought to do, and deem them to be right- 
eous, Job xxxii. 2. Psa. li. 4. Luke vii. 29 ; though 
nothing can be added to the infinite righteousness of 
God. And xvisdom is said to be justified of her chil- 
dren^ Mat. xi. 19. So justification is not a real change 
of a sinner in himself (though a real change is annex- 
ed to It) but only a relative change with reference to 
God's judgment. And thus the word is used in the 
text; and so also in matters of judicature throughout 
the scripture; yeuj some counted against the papists,^ 



292 THE DOCTRmE OP JUSTIFICATION 

that it is no where in scripture used otherwise, except 
by a trope borrowed from this as the proper sense. — 
And in the text, it is beyond all doubt meant of being 
deemed and accounted just in the sight of God ; for such 
a justification is here only treated of, as appears in the 
text, and before, ver. 19, 20. And I have been the 
longer explaining the sense of the word, because the 
mistaking it^ by reason of its composition occasioned 
that popish error, whereby the benefit sig-nified by it is 
obscured, yea, overthrown; so that we had need to 
contend for the sense of the word. 

In the text we have the eight following things. 

1. The j&^T^c^;?^ justified ; (l) sinners. (2) Such sin- 
gers of all sorts that shall believe^ whether Jevrs gr- 
CS^entiles. 

2. ^Vhe justif(e}\ or ejfficient cause ^ Gon. 

3. The zjnpulsive cause, grace. 

4. The 7neans effecting, or inaterial cause, the re- 
demption of Christ. 

6. The formal cause, the remiss'^ on of sins. 

6. The instrumental cause, faith. 

7. The time of declaring^ the present time. 

8. The end^ that God may appear just. 

, From hence, therefore, v/ill arise several useful ob^ 
aervations, all tending to explain the nature of justifi- 
cation ; which shall be laid down and cleared out of 
the text, and confirmed particularly ; and then I shall 
make use of them altogether. 

Observ. I. ''• They who are justified, are simiers^ 
such who are come short of the glory of God," i. e. 
of God's approbation, John v. 44; of God^s image of 
holiness, 2 Cor, iii. 18. Eph. iv. 24; of eternal happi- 
ness, 1 Thes. ii. 12. Rom. v. 2. 2 Cor. iv. 17^ 

1. The law condemns all sinners^ and strikes them 
as with a thunderbolt, Horn. iii. 20 ; and adjudgeth 
them to shame, confusion, and misery, instead of glory 
and happiness, by the strict terms of it, Rom. ii. 
6—12; which none fulfils, neither can do, Rom. viiL 
7, neither Jews nor Gentiles. The^e is ng hope, if 
free grace restore them noU 



OPENED AND APPLIED. 293 

2. Christ came only to save ^innei^s^ and died for 
this end, Rom, v. 6. '' "When we were yet without 
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." — 
And, 1 Tim. i. 15. " This is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, tliat Christ Jesus came into 
the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."—* 
Mat. ix. 13. "lam not come to call the righteous^ 
but sinners to repentance." Mat. xviii* 11. " ITie 
Son of man is come to save that which was lost."* — 
And God must be believed on to salvation, as a God 
that justifieth the ungodly ; he must believe^ as one., 
that worketh not, on him that justifieth the imgodltfy 
Bom. iv. 5. 

Observ. II. " Sinners of all sorts, without difference, 
whether Jews or Gentiles, that believe, are the subjects 
of this justification." This is the scope of the apostle, 
to shew, that whereas Jews and Gentiles, were univer- 
sally condemned by the light and law of nature, or the 
law written; so the ''righteousness of God is upon all 
them that believe," ver. 21,22, without difference. This 
was a great point to be defended against the Jews in 
the apostles' time, who appropriated justification to 
themselves, in a legal way, and to such as were prose- 
lytes to the law and circumcision ; and therefore the 
apostle Paul vehemently urged it, Rom. x. 1 1, 12. And 
it was a point newly revealed to the apostles, that the 
Gentiles might be accepted without turning Jews, and, 
much prized as a very glorious revelation. Acts x. 28, 
^b5. Eph. iii. 4,5,8. Col.i.25-r-27. And it is confirmed^, 

1. Because notwithstanding the y^rt;/ privilege of 
the law, by reason of breaking the law, they had as 
much need of free justification as the Gentiles, and no 
worthiness above the Gentiles by their works, but v/erCf 
rather great sinners, Rom. ii.,23, 24. And when there 
is equal need and worth, God might righteously justify 
one as well as another, Rom. iii. 9. 

2.. God is the God of the Gentiles as v/eil as of the 
Jews, Rom. iii. 29; as he promised, Rom. iv. 9, 12, \^^^ 
Gal., iii. 8. Isa. xix. 25. Zech. xiv- 9. 

X3 



394 THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION 

3. Abraham was justified before he was circumci- 
sed, that he might be the father of those that believe, 
though uncircumcised, that they might inherit the 
same blessing, Rom. iv. 10-— 12. 

4. This will appear further, by shewing that justifi- 
cation is only by faith^ and without dependence upon 
the law, merely by the righteousness of another ; and 
so Jews and Gentiles are alike capable of it. 

Observ. 111. " That the justifier, or efficient cause 
of justification, is God." It is an act of God, Rom* 
viii. 23. ^' It is God that just? fethJ^"* He only can jus- 
tify authoritatively and irreversibly. 

1. Because he is the laxv-giver^ and hath pov/er to 
save and destroy^ James iv. 12. This case concerns 
God's law, and can only be tried at his tribunal. He 
is the judge of the world, Gen. xviii. 25. It is a small 
worthless thing to be justified by man, or by ourselves 
merely, 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4. 

2. To him the debt of suffering for sin, and acting 
righteousness, is owed : and therefore he only can give 
a discharge for payment, or a release of the debtor^ 
Esa. li. 4. Mark ii. 7. 

Observ. IV. " God justifieth souls freely by his 
grace, ^u^^iuf rvs avrav x^pf^f^ freely by his grace." One 
of these expressions had been enough ; but this redoub- 
ling it, sheweth the importance of the truth, to quicken 
cur attention the more. Here is the impulsive cause 
®f justification, and his free manner of bestowing it ac- 
fvordingly. And this signifies God's free undeserved fa- 
vour, in opposition to any works of our righteousness, 
whereby it might be challenged as a debt to us, Rom. iv. 
3. 'VNow, to him that worketh is the rev/ard not reckon- 
ed of grace, but of debt !" xi. 6. *^If by grace, then is it 
no more of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace ; 
but if it be of works, then is it no more grace, other- 
wise work is no more work." Eph. ii. 8, 9. "By grace 
are ye saved, through faith ; and that not of yourselves : 
it is the gift of God ; not of works, lest any man should 
feeast." 2 Tim. i; 9. "Who hath saved us, and called ix^ 



OftENElD AjVB applies. 29^ 

with an holy calling, not according to our works, but ac- 
cording to his own purpose and grace^ which was given 
us in Christ Jesus, before the world began.*^ Ver. 10. 
*' But is now made manifest by the appearing of our 
Saviour, Jesus Christ," he. Grace is mercy and love 
shewed freely, out of God's proper motion; shewing 
mercy, because he will shew mercy ; and loving us, be- 
cause he will love us,Kom.ix.l5. And this is confintied, 

1. Because there rvas not, nor is any thing in us, but 
what might move God to condemn us ; for we have all 
simied., Kph. ii. 3. Ez. xvi. 6. 

2. Because God would take away boastings and have 
his grace glorified and exalted in our salvation. He 
will have all the praise and glory, though v/e have the 
blessedness ; Eph. ii. 7, 9. '^ That in the ages to come 
he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his 
kindness towards us through Christ Jesus." And so 
Rom. iii. 27. 

Observ. V. " God justlfieth sinners through the re^ 
demption that is In Jesus Christ, whom God hath set 
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.'' 
This is the effecting means, or material cause oi our jus- 
tification, viz. redemption and propitiation through the 
blood of Christ ; which is the righteousness of God 
treasured up in him. 

By redemption is meant, properly such a deliverance 
as is by paying a price ; and so the words redeem and 
redemption^ are frequently used, Exo. xiil. 13. Num. iii. 
48,49, 51. Lev. xxv. 24, 51, 52. Jer. xxxii. r, 8, Neh, 
V. 8. From this proper signification, it is borrowed to 
signify a deliverance without price, Luke xxi. 28. Eph* 
i. 14. iv. 30. or rather, by a metonymy of the cause, put 
for the highest effect, the state of glory ; so that the state 
of glory is called redemption^ as being the completing 
and crowning effect of Christ's redemption; therefore it 
is called the purchased possession^ Eph. i. 14. 

By a propitiation^ is meant, that which appeaseth the 
wi'ath of God for sin, and wins his favour. And this 
gropitiatipn of Christ is two ways typified ; first m 



^96 THE DOCTRIXE OF JUSTIFICATION 

propitiatory sacrifices, whose blood was shed. And,* 
secondly, by the mercy seat ; which w^as cajled the pro- 
pitiation^ because it covered the ark, wherein was the 
law ; and the blood of the sacrifices for atonement was- 
sprinkled by the High Priest before it. And this mercy- 
seat was a sign of God's favourableness to a sinful peo- 
ple, in residing among them, and was called iXua-ni^iof 
Heb. ix. 5. 
Now this doctrine appears confirmed for these reasons. 
!• Because Christ, by the will of God, gave himself 
a ransom for us, to redeem us from sin and punishment, 
wrath and curse. Tit. ii. 14. ''He gave himself for us, 
to redeem us from all iniquity!^' He gave himself to 
death for us ; was delivered for our offences : his death 
was the price of our redemption, that we might be jus- 
tified in God's sight. God gave him up to death ; he 
spared him not, that he might be made righteousness,. 
1 Cor. i. 30* Mat. xx. 28. " He gave his own life a ran- 
som for many; and so, (1 Tim. ii. 6.) he bought us with 
this price," 1 Cor. vi. 20. " He redeemed us not with 
silver and gold, but with his precious blood, as of a 
lamb without spot," 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. 2 Pet. ii. 1. Rev. v- 
9. He suffered the penalty due to us for sin, 1 Pet. ii. 
14. '' He bare our sins in his own body on the tree !" 
Gal. iii. 1 3. " He was made a curse for us," and there- 
by redeemed us from the curse of the law ; and that he 
might be made a curse^ he was made sin for us^ 2 Cor. 
y. 21. Isa. iii. 5, G. He subjected himself to the law, 
in active as well as passive obedience. Gal. iv. 4. and 
obeyed his Father even to death, doing and suffering 
at his commandment, John xiv. 31. Heb. x. 7. and his 
obedience was for our justification. Compare Rom. v. 
19. with Phil. iii. 8, 9. So Christ satisfied both our 
debt of righteousness, and debt of punishment ; for our 
f^ultiness, taint of sin, and want of righteousness as well 
as for our guilt, and obnoxiousness to punishment ; that 
we might be free from wrath, and deemed righteous in 
God's sight. His suffering in our room was the consum- 
mating act of redemption; and so all is attributed. to. 



OPENED AND APPLIED. 297 

it, Heb. ii. 9, 10. even to his blood, though other dohigs 
and sufferings concur, 2 Cor. viii. 9. We are right- 
eous by him as we arc guilty by Adam, Rom. v. 12. 

2. God accepted this firice as a satisfaction, to his jus* 
tice, which he shewed in raising Christ from the dead, 
and so acquitting him for all our sins : he rvas Justified 
in the Spirit^ 1 Tim. iii. 16 ; for us^ Rom. iv. 25 ; raised 
for our justification^ see Rom. viii. 33, 34. " It is God 
that justifieth : v/ho is he that condemneth ? It is 
Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen from the 
dead." And, Heb. x. 14, " by one offering he hath 
perfected forever them that are sanctified." Eph. v. 2. 
"* I'his sacrifice was a sweet smelling savour unto God." 
If Christ had sunk under the weight of our sins, and 
had not been raised, the payment had not been finished, 
and so the debt not discharged, John xvi. 10. *^ Of 
righteousness, because I go to my father." 

3. 'I'his redemption is in Christ, as to the benefit of 
it ; so that it cannot be had, except we be in Christ, and 
have Christ : so the text expresseth and sheweth that he 
is the propitiation ; and, as such, he is our righteousness^ 
1 Cor. i. 30. We have redemption and righteousness 
in him, Eph. ii. 7. 2 Cor. v. 21 ; and therein our free- 
dom from condemnation, Rom. viii. 1. Christ died, 
that his seed vcn^t ht justified^ Isa. liii. 10, 11 ; those 
that are in him by spiritual regeneration, I Cor. iv. 15. 

Observ. VI. ''The formal cause of justification, or 
that wherein it consists, is, the remission of sins; i. c. not 
only the guilt and punishment is removed, but the fault; 
because it is a pardon grounded on justice, which clear- 
eth the fault also. By him we are justified from all 
things that the law chargeth us with," Acts xiii. 39. 

In men, subject to a law, there is no middle condition 
between not imputing sin, and imputing righteousness : 
and so these terms are used as equivalent. Acts xiii. 38, 
39. '' Through this man is preached the forgiveness of 
sins; and by him all that believe are justified," &c. 
Bom. iv. 6 — 8. 2 Cor. v. 19, 21. Rom. v. 17. This is 
through the bloodshed of Christj F^ph, i, 7* Mat, xxyi, 2§, 



298 THE DOCTRIXE OF JUSTIFICATION 

Observ. YIJ. '' God justifieth a sinner through /r/i/A 
in Christ's blood." Faith is the instriimcniai cause of 
receiving this benefit, faith in the blood of Christ. 

1. This faith is believing on Christ, that we may be 
justified by him ; (ial. ii. 16. '^ Knowing that a man 
is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith 
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ 
that v/e might be justified by the faith of Christ, and 
not by the works of the law." We believe in Christ 
for justification, out of a sense of our inability to ob- 
tain justification by works. 

2. This laith doth not justify us, as an act oi righU 
eousncss^ earning and procuring our justification by the 
work ofit^ as under the law; diametrically opposite to 
grace and free gift, which excludes all consideration of 
any works of ours, to be our righteousness, under any 
diminitive terms whatever, whether you call it legal or 
evangeltca!^ though you reckon it to be no more than the 
payment of a pepper-corn, Rom. xi. 6. Faith in this case^ 
is accounted a not-xvorking^ Rom. iv. 5. And it "is not 

faith that stands instead of the righteousness of the law, 
but the righteousness cf Christy which satisfieth for what 
we ought to have done or suffered, as hath been shewed. 

3. God justifieth by faith, as t\\^ instrument wh^xohj 
we receive Christ and his righteousness, by which we 
are justified properly ; and we 2a' t justified by faiih only 
nietonymically^ by reason of the righteousness receiyed 
by it : and to be justified by faith and by Christy is all 
one. Gal. iii. 8. Rom. v. 19. By faith we receive re- 
mission ofsins^ Acts xxvi. 18. x. 43. Its effect is, the 
reception of justification, not the working it, as a man 
may be said to be maintained by his hands, or nourish- 
ed by his mouth, v/hen those do but receive that which 
nourisheth, his food and drink. The cup is put from 
the liquor in the cup, 1 Cor. xi. 26, 27. See Rom. i. 
17. iii. 22. Chiist is in its by faith^ Eph. iii. 17; re- 
ceived, ate, drunk, John i. 12. vi. 51 — 54. 

4. I'his faith is to be understood exdusioely^ to all 
our works for justification. We defend, against the pa- 



OPENED AND APPLIED. 29y 

plsts, justification by faith onhj ; and there is nothing 
more i'ully expressed in scripture-phrase, Horn. iii. 28. 
Gal. ii. 16- Phil. iii. 8, 9. Horn. iv. 16. 

5. We must understand faith in ?ifidl sense of receiv- 
ing remission of the faulty as well as of the punishment, 
^Ve believe God accounts not the fault to us of the kast 
sin. And where faith is said to be accounted for right- 
eousness^ it is because of the object it receives, Horn. iv. 
5 — 8. 2 Cor. V. 19, 21. We believe Christ's righteous- 
ness is imputed to us as our sins are to him ; or else 
we receivv.' not remission of sins by believing, v»'hich is 
contrary to charging us with sin and condemnation : 
which c'/V/r§'i;z^' signifies imputi ng sbi^ Rom.viii.33,34. 
Together with the removal of the charge of sin, we 
receive the gift of righteousness^ Horn. v. 1'/. And this 
v/e liave in the reception of Christ's redemption and 
bloodshvxl, Eph. i. 7. Mat. xxvi. 28. 

Observ. VIII. ^^ That God, in setting forth Christ 
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, aimed 
to declare his righteousness, now under the gospel, for 
the remission of sins that kXYt past as well ?<.^ present j^'^ 
of those sins that were past^ and committed under the 
Old Testament, which was God's time oi forbearing m 
pi rdoning^ long before his justice was actually satisfied 
by Christ's atonement, Heb. xiii. 8. Rev. xiii. 8. Mat. 
xviii. 26. The ground of these pardons is now reveal- 
ed by Christ's conming, Isa. li. 5,9. Ivi. 1. Dan. ix. 24. 
2 Tim. i. 9, 10 ; that those pardons may be no blemish 
to the justice of God now satisfied, Ex. xxxiv. 7. Psa. 
Ixxxi. 10.. 

1. Bv this righteousness is meant that righteousness 
of God mentioned in the proposition, Mom. iii-. 21, 22. 
of which the text is but a confirmation, viz. the right- 
eousness of God; not his essential righteousness, that 
which is an essential property of God, but even that 
righteousness, which is up*m all tJiern that do believe ; 
Christ's no'hteousness* which is the end of ike /(7T(;,Rom. 
x. 3, 4; and therefore called God'^s righteousness^ that 
wliich Christ wrought for us, which is given to us, and 



500 THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFiCATrON 

we receive by faith ; that whereby Christ answered the 
law for us ; by which, as the price, he redeemed us ; 
which is called God^s righteousness^ because it is of 
God's zoorking^ and it only hath God's acceptance and 
approbation ; as Christ is called the Lamb of God^ be- 
cause God provided him and accepts him as an offering, 
John i. 29- Upon the like account, Clirisfs kingdom is 
called the kingdom of God^ because God's own hand set 
it up and maintained it, and rules it, Eph. v. 5. Christ 
who became obedient to death, to v/ork this righteous- 
ness, was God as well as man, Phil. ii. 6, 8. And this 
is that righteousness Vv hich the apostle opposeth to his 
ov/n, that which is in Christ ; which he had through 
faith. And this is the righteousness of God here^ and 
in other places ; "the righteousness which is of God 
by faith," Phil. iii. 9. 

2. God aimed at declaring^ in the gospel times, his 
righteousness in forgiving sins past^ in the time of 
.God's forbearance under the Old I'estament, Rom. iii. 
25 ; and also in justifying those that believe in Christ 
at present ; for it was by the righteousness of che same 
Christ, that sins were pardoned under the Old Testa- 
ment, as well as now, Heb. xiii. 8. Christ was the 
" Ijamb slain from the foundation of the world," Rev. 
xiiii 8 ; only the righteousness was not actually fulfilled 
and revealed then, but it was shadowed out then, by 
the sacrifices, ransoms, redemptions, &c. Heb. x. 1, 2, 
9, 10. So this was a time of God's forbearance : be- 
cause he pardoned sins, as if it were, without present 
payment and satisfaction. He had patience, and did 
not exact the debt, until Christ paid all. Mat. xviii. 26. 
But then God promised, that he would reveal his right- 
eousness in due time, Isa. Ivi. 1. and i. 5, 6. Psa. xcviii. 
2. Dan. ix. 24. And this he hath done by the appear- 
ance of Christ, 2 Tim. i. 10. 

Observ. IX. '^ The endoi this manifestation is, that 
God may appear Just^ in forgiving sins past as well as 

f resent, and ihtt Jus tijier of him that beiieveth in Jesus.'* 
lere the essential property of God is exalted, and ap- 



OPENED AND APPLIED. 301 

pears glorious in justifying by the forementioned right- 
ousness of llod. 

1. As God justineth y/T^/z/ by grace^ he would ap- 
pear hereby just in justifying sinners ; for, it would be 
a blemish to (rod's justice, to forgive without a satis- 
faction, and righteousness performed ; and therefore, 
though he be gracious and merciful, yet he willnot clear 
the guilty y Ex. xxxiv. 7. Gen. xviii. 25. Ex. xxiii. 7. 
And so the saints of God concluded, that God had a 
righteousness and redemption, whereby he forgave sin^ 
though it was not then revealed, Psa. li. 14. cxxx. 7, 8. 
and cxliii. 1 , 2. God would have justice and mercy to 
meet in our salvation, Psa. Ixxxv. 10. 

2. God would have it appear, that he only is just, 
and therefore saveth us, not by our own righteousness, 
but by his : which is indeed the more exalted by our 
unrighteousness occasionally^ though God is not there- 
fore unrighteous in taking vengeance^ Rom. iii. 4, 5* 
Dan. ix. 7. 

3. God would appear to be the only procurer and 
worker of our righteousness, and so our justifier by way 
of procurement, as well as by way of judgment; and. 
so he will justify us by a righteousness of his own, and 
not by our own, Isa. liv. 1 7. xlv. 22, 24, 25* that we 
m^Y glory in the Lord only, 1 Cor. i* 30^ 31. 

Use I. It serves for instruction^ by way of encou-^ 
ragement and consolation ; that the great happiness of 
those that are in Christ, is that their sins are forgiven^ 
and they accounted just in the sight of the judge of the 
world,, through the redemption that is by the blood of 
Christ ; and this benefit dontains all blessedness of life, 
and the conssequences thereof, Rom. iv. 6. That " man 
unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,*^ 
hath a blessedness therein, and such an extensive bles- 
sedness, in regard to the spiritual part, as Abraham 
had, comprehending all spiritual blessings in Christ : 
for " they v/hich be of faith, are blessed vnth faithful 
Abraham," Gal. iii. 9. For this righteousness, being 
the fundamental blessing, Is revealed from faith to faith ; 



3D2 THE DOCTRINE OF JUS TIFICA 1 lON 

and they that are by faith just, and justified through 
that righteousness, do live by faith, always receiving it, 
and receiving nourishment and comfort by it, Rom. i. 15. 

1. They are delivered from the charge of sm B.nd fault 
before God; Rom. viii. 53, 34. Tii eyjcecXea-et: '^ Who 
shall lay any thing to their charge, or salfered to bring 
in, at God's tribunal, any indictment, charge, or accu- 
sation against them ? It is God that justineth them : 
ijnd Christ hath died and rose again. They are re- 
deemed from among m.en, being the first fruits to God 
and the Lamb. In their mouth there is no guile ; and 
they are without favdt [a^o/^ot] before the throne," Rev. 
xiv. 4, 5. See also Col. i. 22. 

2. They are delivered from ^\ co72de7nnatzon m sen- 
tence and execution; the curse and wrath of God, Gal* 
iii. 13. '^ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
lav/, being made a curse for us." 1 Thes.i. 10. '' Jesus, 
who delivered us from the wrath to come." Psa. Ixxxv. 
3. ^^'Thou hast taken away all thy wrath : thou hast turn- 
ed thyst a' from the fierceness of thine anger.'^ See ver. 
5,6. The wrath of God is an insupportable burden, and 
the foundation of all miseries ; which foundation is raz- 
ed, and a foundation of all blessedness laid, whereby we 
have peace with God, and are fully reconciled of God, 
Rom., v. 1, 2. 2Cor. V. 18, 19. Col. i. 21, 22. '' You that 
v/ere sometimes alienated, and enemies in your mind by 
wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, in the body of 
bis flesh, through death, to presentyou holy and unblama- 
ble, and unreprovable in his sight." Now, where there is 
no blame before God ; there can be no wrath from God. 

3. They have no need to seek salvation by die ivorks 
of the law ; and so are delivered from a yoke that cannot 
be borne; from endless observances that pharisees and 
papist's have heaped up; from continual frights, doubts, 
fears and terrors by the law, Acts xv. 10. Rom. viii. 15; 
from a v/rath-v/orking law, Rom. iv. 15 ; from a sin- 
irritating law, Horn. vi. 5 ; from n killing law, a '* min^ 
istration of death and condemnation," 2 Cor. iii. 6, 7, 9; 
^^ Mount Sinai, which genderetli to bondage," Gal.iv. 24* 



OPENED AND APPLIED. 303 

4. Hence they are delivered from a condemning con- 
science^ which otherwise would still gnaw them as a 
worm: Ileb. ix. 14. " If the blood of bulls and of goats, 
and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanc- 
tifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more 
shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, 
offered himself without spot to God, purge your con- 
science from dead works to serve the living God ?" A 
guilty conscience is a foul conscience ; and it will make 
all services, and duties dead works, unfit for the service 
of the living God : it is the blood of Christ applied by 
faith, that takes off the foulness of guilt from the con- 
science ! therefore the blood of Christ hath the only ef- 
ficacy this way to take off the conscience of sin, Ileb, 
X. 1, &c. Hence they come to have a good conscience^ 
1 Pet. iii. 2 ; void of offence towards God^ Acts xxiv. 16. 

5. It is an everlasting righteousness ; by w^hich their 
standing in Christ is secured,.Dan. ix. 24. It is an eter- 
nal redemption that is obtained^ Heb. ix. 12. Whereas, 
by the law, those that vrere justified to-day typically 
might fall under condemnation ; so far as to need an- 
other sacrifice for sin to-morrow : they had no real pur- 
gation of conscience from sin by these sacrifices ;/and 
therefore could not have a lasting delivery of their con- 
sciences of their guilt by them. Here it is far otherwise ; 
liere is an effectual, complete and perpetual redempton, 
reaching the conscience of the sinner, and for the purging 
away of all sins, past^ present and to C07ne^ 1 John i. 7* 

6. It is a righteousness of infinite value ; because it is 
the righteousness of one that is God; and his name is 
Jehovah our Righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6. Heb, ix. 
14, It is therefore more powerful to save than Adam's 
sin was to destroy or condemn, Horn. v. Christ is here 
the pozver cfGod^ 1 Cor. i. 24. Hence we are powerful, 
and conquer by faith. Likewise, there is a marvellous 
plenty of mercy and grace, that is brought to us by Je- 
hovah our righteousness ; and plenteous redemption,Psa. 
cxxx. f. It must be most plentiful, because infinite, 
'.['bough no creature covild satisf}- for sin, yet Jehovah 



304 THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION 

could do it abundantly : and therefore in Christ, God's 
mercy prevails high above our sins, Psa. ciii. 11, 12. 

7. God^s g'ra(:e Sind Justice are both engaged on our be- 
half in this rightcoijsness. Justice is terrible, and seems 
to be against mercy, and dreadful to natural people : but 
it is otherwise to believers ; it is pacified and appeased 
through this righteousness; it is satisfied by Christ fcr 
our sins* Justice becomes our friend, joins in with 
^race : a.nd instead of pleading against us, it is alto- 
gether for us ; and it speaks contrary to wliat it speaks 
to sinners out of Christ, Josh. ;ixiv. 19, 20. Me may 
-also plead justice for forgiveness, through mercy in 

Christ, Eom. iii. 29. 

8. We may be sure of holiness and glory ; delivery 
from thepovrerand dom.inion of sin, as well as the charge 
of it before Cfjd, and guilt in our consciences : for ih-s 
was the end of Christ's dea.th. Tit. ii. 4. rto:n. vi. G, 14. 
viii.3,4,S0. '^\rhcm he justified, them he also glorified." 
The lav/ vras the strengdi ofsiti ; for sin had its tiile to 
rule in us by reason of the curse : and thence Satan also 
rules ; but here is our deliverance from sin and Satan ; 
yea, from death too, lAeb.ii*14,15. lIos.xiii.l4. Ard, 
5)y tlie same reason we are raised by the excellent right- 
eousness to a better state than v/e had in Adam at first ; 
for Christ died, that we might receive the adoption cf 
spns^ and the Spirit ; that we might be brought undtr 
a new^ covenant, and be set in the right way cf holi- 
ness, serving out of lave, Gal. iii. 14. 1 John iv. 19. 
Gal. iv. 5. Ileb. ix. 15. llom. v, 11. Luke i. 74. Ccl. 
ii. 13. 

9. AYe may be sure, hence, of a concurrence cf all 
things for our good. All things shall work for good, 
through grace, to bring us to glory; because God is 
for us, who is the creator and governor of all things, 
Rom. viii. 28, 31, 33. God '^ will never be wroth 
with us, nor rebuke us in anger any more," Isa. iiv. 
9. Horn. V. 2, 5. 

10. Hence we may come before God without confix^ 
sipn efface^ yea, widi bQidn^sa to the thvoue of gr^ice; 



OPENED AM) APPLIE13. 305 

iu Christ's name, John xiv. 13, 24; and expect all 
good things from him; Eph. iii. i2. ^^ In whom we 
have boldness and access with confidence by the faith 
of him." lleb. x. 22, 23. ^' Let us draw near with the 
full assurance of faith." Christ's blood pleads for us 
in heaven, lleb. xii. 24; and we may and are to plead, 
boldly a satisfaction on his account. 

11. Vve live in those times when this righteousness 
1% fully revealed^ and sin made an end of Rom. iii. 21^ 
22. This is our happiness above all those that lived. ■ 
before Christ's coming, who were under types and sha- 
dows of this righteousness : when as we have the sub- 
stance in its own light : and so we are not under the 
law, which they were under as a school-master. We 
are not servants, but sons, called to liberty, Gal. iii. 
23,26. iv. 7. V* 13. The preaching the old covenant, 
as a church ordinance to be urged, is now ceased ; the 
law is not to be preached now in the same terms as 
Moses preached it for justification, Rom. x. 5- — 8. 2 
Gor. iii. 6, 7. Gal. iii. 13, 24 ; it is contrary in terms 
ef faith^ though it were subservient. 

Use II. For examination^ whether we be in Christ, 
and have received this justification by faith w^ith all 
our hearts. 

1. Consider, Avhether you be made really sensible cf 
sin, and your condemnation by the law. This is ne- 
cessary to make us fly to Christ; and for this as one 
gi'eat end, was, the law given. Gal. iii. 22— 24. Mat.. 
ix. 13. Acts ii. 37. . Without sense of sin, there vvill 
be no prizing of Christ, or desire of holiness ; but 
rather abuse of grace to carnal seciuity and licentious- - 
ness. . I'hose that were stung v/ith the fiery serpents, , 
looked up to. the brazen serpent, . 

2. Host thou trust only upon y'r^'e' ??:tvrr/ for justi- ^ 
fication in God's sight, renouncing all thy Vv-orks wiiat- 
ever in this point, as not able to stand in them before 
God's exact justice, crying mercy with the poor pub- 
lican ? Perfectionists, and self-righteous persons, have 
no share in th:s matter, Luke xviii. 13, 14. PauL. 

Z2 



306 THE 130CrmXE OF JUSTIT'ICAIION 

notwithstanding cAl that the world might think he had 
to plead for himself, '' counted all things but dung, that 
he might win Christ, and be found in him, not hav- 
ing his own righteousness which is of the law, but that 
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness 
which is of God by faith," i. e, the redeeming and 
propitiation-righteousness of Christ ; whereby he de-- 
sired only to be justified, and which he believed in for 
that end, opposing it to any thing inherent in himself; 
which therefore he calls his ozvn righteousness^ Phil. iii. 
6, 8, 9. Rom. iv. 5. 

3. Dost thou trust with any conjidence in Christ, not 
continuing in a mere suspense ? in a way of mere 
doubting, we can receive no good thing from God, 
James i. 6, 7« Mere doubting w^ill not loose the con- 
science from the guilt of sin, Heb. x. 22 ; but ieaveth 
the soul under terrors, Abraham^s confidence is the 
example and pattern of our justifying faith, that we < 
would endeavour to come up unto, believing with a 
fulness of persuasion, in hope against hope^ Rom. iv. 
20, 24. '^Fhough a believing soul may be assaulted 
with many doubtings ; yet it fights against them, and 
doth not give up itself to the dominion of them, Psa. 
xlii. 11. Mark ix. 24. It hath alw^ays something con- 
trary to them, and striving with them. 

4. Dost thou come to Christ for rernission of sins ^ for 
the right end, namely, that thou mayest be freed from 
the dominion of ^m before the living God^ Heb. ix. 14. 
Psa^ cxxx. Tit. ii. 14. 1 Pet. ii. 44^. If otherwise, 
thou dost not receive it for the right end : and desirest 
not really the favour and enjoyment of Xiod, and to be 
in friendship with him.. 

5. Dost thou ivalk in holiness^ and strive to evidence 
ihis justification by the fruits of faith, in good w^orks ? 
If otherwise, thy faith is but a dead faith ; for a true 

faith purifieth the hearty Acts xv. 9. If Christ be 
thine, he wall be sanctifi cation as well as righteoiisnesSy 
1 Cor. i. SO. Rom. viii. 1, 9. John xiii. 8. If God 
take thee into his favour, he will doubtless cleansa 



OPENED AND AlTiJED. 30V 

tliee. Though faith alone justifies, without the con- 
currence of works to the act of justiiicailon ; yet that 
faith is not so alone, as not to be accompanied with 
good works : as the eye alone seeth, yet it is not alone ^ 
without other members. 80 the apostle James declar- 
edi, faith that is alone, to be de?cd, and biddcth vis 
shew our faith by our works; which is to be imder- 
stood, not as if works w^ere the conditions of attaining 
justification, but sure evidences of justification attain- 
ed by faith; and very necessary, Jam. ii. 14, 15. — 
'i'he gospel is no covenant of works, requiring another 
righteousness for justification by doing for life. Works 
justify us from such accusations of men as v/ill deny 
us to have justification by faith, or that we ha.ve a true 
^nd lively faith, or are good trees, Mat. xii. 00^ 37; 
not as being our righteousness themselves, ' or condi- 
tions of our having Christ's righteousness, or qualify- 
ing us for it. 

Use III. It serveth ior exhortation to several duties* 
1. 1^0 the -wicked* It is dehortation unto them from 
continuance in sin, under God's v/rath, running headlong 
to damnation ; for here is a door of mercy opened to 
them ; a righteousness prepared that they may be freely 
accepted of God. Some men are desperadoes ; ^''i'hey 
have loved strangers, and after them they will go," Jer. 
ii. 25. 'I 'hey are resolved to run the risk of it; and please 
themselves that they shall speed as well as others. And 
some men would be justified, but seek for it in a wrong 
way. Some will go to the Pope, to quiet their conscien- 
ces by his deceits : some to their own works and per^ 
formances, but you are exhorted to look out for the 
true righteousness. Christ saith in the gospel. Behold 
me. Behold me ; the kingdom of heaven is open ; mercy 
and righteousness are freely oflercd, Isa. Iv. 6, 7. Jero. 
iii. 12. Repentance is preached with the remission of 
sins, Luke xxiv. 47* Acts ii. 38. Beware you do not 
neglect " this acceptable time, this clay of salvation," 
Heb. ii. 1, 3. For, (1) if you do you rem.ain under the 
wrath of God, John iii. Z^* under the curse of tlie law ;. 



aoa THE D'OCTRINE OF JUSTIFICAllON 

which, like a flood, sweeps away all that are feund out 
of this ark, the l.ord Jesus Christ, Psa. xi. 5, 6. (2) 
Your condemnatiou will be aggravated hy r^Jusmg fio 
great salvation^ ileb. ii-^ 3. You will have no cloak for 
your sins^ when you refuse mercy, John xv. 22. \ou 
cannot say,, you are undone, by your past snis,. beyond 
recovery, and therefore it is in vain to strive ; for be- 
hold, remission of sins is proclaimed unto you, Ezek. 
xxxiii. 10, 11. And what a horrid sin is it to despise 
the blood of the Son of God I John iii. 18, 36. 

Object. I. " If God justifieth the ungodly," Rom. 
iv. 5. " what need I forsake ungodliness at all ?" Rom. 
vi. 1. 

Ans. Thou canst not seek justification truly ^ except 
thou hast a mind to live to God in friendship with him f 
for justification is God's way of taking us into friend- 
ship with him, Rom. v. 1, 2; and of reconciling us, 
2 Cor. V. 19. The use thou art to make of it is to seek 
God's friendship by it and the enjoyment of him. Why 
doth a man seek a pardon,, if he intend to go on in re- 
bellion and stand out in defiance to his prince ? 1 Pet, 
ii. 24. They seek pardon in a mocking way, that in- 
tend not to return to obedience, Gal. vi. 7, 8. 

Object. II. My sins are so great^ that I have no en- 
coiirageme7it to hope* 

Ans. Christ's righteousness is for all sorts of sinners 
that believe, whether Jews or Gentiles ; and how great 
sinners were of both sorts I Rom. i. ii. iiij and even for 
those that killed and murdered the Lord of glory ^ Acts 
ii. 23, 36* 1 Cor. ii. 8: for the chief of sinners, 1 Tim. 
i. 15. Acts xvi. " Where sin abounds j grace super- 
abounds," Rom. V. 20. Your sins are but the sins of 
a creature^ but his righteousness is the righteousness of 
God^ John vi. ^7. Rom. x. 3, 11, 13. 

Exhort. IT. It exhorts those that have a mind to 
turn to God, to turn the right way, by faith in Christ 
for justification. Let them not seek by works, as most 
in the world do, Rom. ix. 31, 32. But this doctrine 
seems very foolish, yea, pernicious to a natural man>. 



OPENED AXD APPLIED. 309 

^^ Become a fool, that thou maycst be vrise," 1 Cor. 
iii. 18; otherwise you will hii;our in the fire, and 
weary yourselves for very vanity, and be under con- 
tinual discomforts and cliscour.igemcnts ; for, } ou can 
do no good work v/hile you are in the fiush, unucr 
the law, and its curse, before God receive you into 
favour; for justification is, in order of nature, before 
true holiness of heart and life, 1 'I'im. i. 5. llcb. ix. 
14. Faith is the great work, and mother dut\^, John 
vi. 29. Galo V. 6. Isa. iv. 2, &c. and therefore while 
you believe not, jou dishonor Clirlst and his death, 
Gal. ii. 2i. V. 2 — I, ^ilKVLiore ccme boldly, tliough 
you have been a great sinner ; Acts x, 45 ; and seek 
righteousness in Christ Jesus vllh holiness, ^ Rom. 
viii. 1. 

Quest. Bat how shall I get faith ? 

A, Faith is the gilt of Gc^^ Eph. ii. 8 ; and by the 
gQspeh Kom. ii. 15-— If. Failli comcth by hearing Iht 
gospel preached, Kom. x. 17 ; and that comes in work- 
ing faidi, not in v»'ord only, but in pov/er, 1 Tbes. i. 
5. beyond vvhat can be done by natural and human at- 
tainment, Jolm vh 63. Therefore, if thou ha^t no 
beginning of it in thee, thy only way is to attend to 
the gospel, and to meditate on thy sin and misery, and 
Christ's excellency, that so thou mayest be inclined iu 
thy heart to believe. Song i. S. Gal. ii. 16. f^sa. ix. 
10 ; for this is the way God useth to beget faith, Isa^ 
Iv. 3. But, if thou hast a desire and mclination to 
fly from th} self to Christ, in the bent of thy licart, 
so that thou preferrest Christ above all, then the Spirit 
hath begun and will carry on the w ork : so that no'^v 
thou mayst pray confidently for faith, Song. i. 4, Luke 
xit 13. Mark ix, 24. 

Object. III. '' But without holiness no man shall 
see the Lord," Heb. xii. 14. And^ hoiv shall I get 
holiness? I cannot sanctify rjiy^elf; and this confidence 
yon speak of may slacken ray diligence. 

Answ. If thou hast righteousness in Christ, God 
will make theq holy : and this confidence is the onlj 



310 THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION 

way to get holiness, because of that righteousness, 
Horn. V. 2i. I'he ne\v covenant is confirmed in him, 
which promiseth anew heart. If sin be forgiven, thou 
shalt be delivered from its power and quickened by the 
same death and resurrection of Christ, vvhcreby thou 
art justified, CoL li. 12,13. 

KxiioRT. Ill, It exhorteth, them that are jiu^tif^ecl 
by faith, 1st, To xvalk Inimhly^ as being nothing of 
themselves; to acknowledge themselves enemies tO: 
God by nature, and acknov/ledge their sins in the great- 
ness and heinousness of them ; that they are saved, 
freely by the righteousness of another,, not by their 
own; jea, that they are so far. fallen, that the jus- 
lice of God would have been against them, if it had 
not been satisfied* V's'a. Ixxi. 16. Rom. iii. 37 ; but 
now they see that Christ hath satisfied, and his right-. 
eousness is above their sins, Ezek. xxxvi. 2tl, 

2. To/?rai.5 6' and glorify God, through Christ, for 
his grace. Oh ! what abundant; grace and love ap- 
pears in God^s v/ashing aud cleansing us by his JSon's 
blood! Hev. i. 5. CiaL ii. 20; and in making his Son 
sin and a curse for us ! Eom. v. 5, 8. 1 John iv. 9,.. 
JO. iii. 16. 2 Con viii. 9 ; and v/lrat a glorious and- 
excellent righteousness hath God given us in Christ ! 
Isa. ixi, 10. 

3» 'io rvalk comfort ably yXXYjon the account of this, 
righteousness, Isa. xl. 1, 2, Triumph over sin and 
ailiiction, Rom. yiii. 33,39. Be confident in expect- 
ing great things from God, Ileb. x, 2.2 ; for, though, 
you may be unworthy, and grace v/ill shevv^ you your 
own unworthine.ss, yet you stand upon tlie righteous-, 
ness of Christ,. Glory in the hope of tiod's glo-ry ; 
for, if Christ died to reconcile you, v/hen you v/ere 
enemies, much more vv^ill he siive you by his life, now 
you are reconciled, Rom., v. 3, 10. Ask boldly for 
v/hat you want ; for God is in Christ's manhood as 
the mercy-seat. Whenever sin stings, and objections 
trouble you, look to the brazen serpent ; confess sin;^ 
and trust for pardon; meditate en Christ's righteous- 



OPENED AND APPLIED. 311 

ness, and abundance of gnice in him, Rom. vliu 32. — - 
If you fmd never so much ungodliness, no good quali- 
fications ; yet Christ is at hand for your comfort, Isa* 
1. 10. Z Thes* ii. 16, 17. In all your sins apply your- 
selves to this fountain, Zech. xiii. 1. 1 John i. 7. If 
sin lie on the conscience^ it weakens peace and spir- 
itual strength. Lie not under guilt with a slavish fear ; 
you have a righteousness to deliver you from it ; ap- 
ply it by faith, that you may have no more conscience 
of sin as condemning, Ileb. x. 2. Psa. xxxii. You 
have a better righteousness than any perfectionists can 
have. 

4. To holdfast this xvaij of justification^ notwith- 
standing all the noise that is made in the world against 
it ; for the devil will strive to scare you out of it, or 
steal it from you ; as he did from the Jews, from the 
Galatians, the Papists, and many Protestants, Gal* i. 
6. And ihc apostles reckons it is by a spiritual be- 
witcheiy. lie will strive to get you to trust upon 
works, and tell you, it is for the promoting of holi- 
ness ; and to trust on vv^orks to get Christ, and to lay 
works lowest in the foundation. If you lose this 
righteousness of Christ, under any colour or pretence 
whatever, you lose all, Gal. v. 2^ 3. Do not so dis- 
honor Christ, as to think of procuring that by v/orks 
which you hai^e so fully in Christ. Think not that 
the gospel requires another justification to gain this; 
for, the gospel is no legal covenant, but a declaration 
of the righteousness of faith ; and we being justified, 
are heirs by adoption and promise, Gal. iii. 24—26. 
iv. 7. 'i'his is the doctrine which glorifieth God, and 
abaseth the creature ; v/hVli is a great mark of truth. 
Beware therefore, of carnal reason ; which will go 
quite contrary, and make Christ^s righteousness a stum- 
bling-stone to thee, 2 Pet. ii. 8. Rom. ix. 32, 34. 

5. To zvalk as one that enjoys the favor of God in 
Christ. Let hirn have the honor of it. \Yalk there* 
fore in holiness", knowing by v.'hat price you are re«*. 
deemed, 1 Pet* i. 17, 18. 2 Con v. 14, 15* 2 Pet* i. 5*, 



312 THE DOCTRINE, &c. 

11. 1 Cor. vi. 20. I.ove God that ha.th loved you 
first, 1 John iv. 19. Psa. cxxvi. 16. Believe that God 
Vv^ill enable you, for the practice of holiness, Kom. vi» 
l-l-. Parti cidarl)', walk in love to the saints ; exercise 
forgiveness to your enemies. Sense of your own sins, 
and God's forgiving you, will cause you to pity and 
forgive others ; else you cannot pray or trust for for- 
giveness of your own sins upon reasonable grounds, 
Eph. iv. 31, 32. Mat. vi. 14, 15. xviii. 21. Desire 
grace may be exalted upon others ; and wait patiently 
for the full declaration of justification at the great 
day, Gal. v 5. Acts iii. 19; for here, your justifica* 
tion is known only by faith ; but in outward things 
you are dealt with as a sinner ; then your righteous- 
ness shall appear openly, and you shcdl be dealt with 
according to it* 



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